Emiel de Jong is an Ilex grower located in Boskoop, and is known for growing amazing quality Ilex in a variety of colours. On the nursery of 10 hectares, Emiel grows seven different varieties of Ilex Verticillata. Everybody knows Ilex for their colourful berries, but before you get these amazing branches in your hands, they have had quite the unusual journey!

Ilex are a shrub that grow outside in the field. Only the female plants produce berries and they need their male counterparts in their vicinity to do that. So there are typically always a few male plants planted in between the females. Every year during springtime, a local beekeeper installs hives on the grounds of the nursery, so that the bees will aid with the pollination. When the plants develop their berries, nets are installed, to make sure birds can’t get to them.

The Ilex branches that we work with are already two years old! When they grow on the plant, the stem only develops leaves in the first year. It’s during the second year that it starts developing side branches. In the summer, the plant flowers and from those flowers it develops its berries. These start developing around August and from September on, the branches are cut.

The traditional red Ilex is usually only available around Christmas, and before that there are yellow and orange varieties available, like Golden Verboom, Oudijk’s Orange, Ilexia Julia, and Ilexia Victoria, which look amazing in Autumn bouquets and arrangements!

After cutting, the branches are hosed down with water and packed in plastic, and left for at least one to two weeks, depending on the variety. During this time the leaves will turn black and fall off. Then the branches are sorted and packed, and made ready for transport to the auction.

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