Planting and spacing Nellie R. Stevens trees

Dear Anne Clapp: Could you tell me what distance to space Nellie R. Stevens trees to obtain a dense hedge or screen in 5 years? I will be planting 30 each plants, 10 inches in height. Thank you so much.

Robert C.
New Braunfels, TX

Anne's response:

I suggest you check with your local cooperative extension service for information on growth of Nellie Stevens hollies. In the acidic soils of North Carolina we expect rapid growth to about 15 feet wide and 20 feet tall. It takes about 10 years from a 3 gallon container to produce a mature plant. I would not expect a “dense hedge” from a 10 inch twig of Nellie Stevens in less than 8 years. One way of achieving your goal is to space the plants so you could remove every other one as they fill in the space.