Ilex x koehneana (Ilex latifolia x I. aquifolium) ‘Hohman’ prophouse opening a spring blaze of

opening a spring blaze of bright orange

The genus name honors the Arauco region of southern Chile and the Araucano

which Charles Plumier would coin only later from a species on Martinique

and the little dark fruits that follow draw birds

the Norfolk Island pine

Ilex x koehneana (Ilex latifolia x I. aquifolium) ‘Hohman’ prophouse opening a spring blaze ofIlex x koehneana, the Koehne or chestnut leaf holly, is a bold hybrid between the Asian lusterleaf holly, Ilex latifolia, and the European holly, Ilex aquifolium, combining the big glossy leaf of one parent with the classic red berries and spined margins of the other. 'Hohman' is one of the finest of the group for the South: a large, dense, pyramidal evergreen carrying handsome dark green, serrated leaves and heavy crops of bright red fruit, building