About us

The Holly Society of America, Inc. is an active, nonprofit organization with members in the United States and around the world. 

The Society stimulates interest, promotes research, and collects and disseminates information about the genus Ilex.

We provide opportunities for novice and skilled growers, horticultural tradespeople, and educational institutions to communicate and exchange information about holly. 

We offer scientific and other publications; lectures; regional and national meetings; and visits to gardens and Holly collections.

Regional chapters in the Eastern and Midwestern United States meet to exchange information, and plants; hear talks by local experts; and visit nearby arboreta, nurseries, and private Holly collections.

Our Annual Meetings, held in the fall, give attendees time to socialize and connect with other holly enthusiasts as we visit area gardens, nurseries, and other places of interest. 

Here you can write about your membership levels, organization rules, or payment instructions.

Holly Auction and Cutting Exchange 

The Holly society sponsors a lively holly auction and cutting exchange at its Annual Meeting. The auction provides an opportunity for participants to add to their Holly collections while contributing to the Holly Society and its Research Fund with their tax deductible purchases.

The cutting exchange offers selections of unusual species and varieties of Ilex from around the world and not readily available elsewhere. All plants for the auction and cutting exchange are donated by Society members.

Registration of Ilex Cultivars 

The Holly Society of America, Inc. became the International Cultivation Registration Authority for cultivated Ilex in 1958 by appointment from the International Commission for Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants of the International Union of Biological Sciences. The Holly Society publishes descriptions of newly registered hollies in the Holly Society Journal as well as a list of registered cultivars.

Research 

Holly research programs in the United States and abroad are financed by the Holly Society, a non-profit organization, through its Research Fund. This fund is maintained by tax deductible contributions. Results of such research appear in the Holly Society Journal.