How to Remove a Holly Bush

If your holly tree is self-seeding and you find multiple sharp seedlings under the tree or throughout your garden, you might be ready to say goodbye to that holly.

First, decide whether you are going to try to save the tree to transplant elsewhere or send it on its thorny way to tree heaven. If you're ready to rid of it, read on.

Holly (‌‌Ilex‌ spp.), USDA plant hardiness zones 5 to 9, can grow quite large, although it is relatively slow growing. If your holly tree is 30 feet tall with a wide spread, you’ll likely need professional help and equipment. If you are removing or transplanting a small holly shrub in the landscape, you have more options. Generally, the process includes removing all the branches and then dealing with the stump.

Take It Down to the Stump

When you are removing a holly rather than transplanting it, you can go straight for the jugular, with no need to try to save the root system.

If you do plan to DIY, gather your tools:

• Loppers or a handsaw
• Bow saw (chainsaw, optional)
• Shovel and trowel
• Mattock or hatchet

Remove the Branches

Grab some loppers or a handsaw and remove the branches, or at least as many of the branches as you can, so you can more easily access the trunk. Wear gloves! Those holly leaves mean serious business.

For branches larger than 1.5 inches thick, use a bow saw or a chainsaw (if you're handy with that tool). Your goal is to expose just the trunk so that you're not hampered by branches.

Remove the Roots

Once you have only a trunk, you want to loosen and remove the roots to weaken the tree. Dig all around the trunk to expose the rootball and roots. Knock some of the soil from the roots with a trowel so you can easily see them.

Use a mattock or hatchet to sever the roots. Sometimes, rocking the trunk back and forth helps identify the remaining roots anchoring the trunk.

You want to get all the primary roots so that the holly doesn’t regrow.

Remove or Treat the Stump

At this point, you have two options: Either dig out the holly tree stump (if it is not too large) or cut it down as close to the ground as possible and use chemicals to kill the tree stump over time.

Complete removal is much harder and faster because a tree stump treated with chemicals may take years to die and decompose.

Digging Out the Stump

There’s really not much finesse or a specific set of instructions for digging out the tree stump. Once the roots have been removed, the stump should be sitting in its hole, waiting for a strong back. If the stump is too heavy to move, use your chainsaw to cut it into smaller sections.

Treating the Stump

If digging out a big stump doesn’t appeal to you, use a stump-killer product. Holly bushes will continue to sprout from a stump if the stump is left untreated.

Be sure to treat the stump immediately after cutting down the holly, because old stumps do not absorb the chemicals. If you have waited, recut the stump to get to fresh wood before applying.

To ensure penetration, drill holes in the top of the stump and along the edge to expose the cambium under the bark. Paint the herbicide all over the exposed area. If suckers appear over time, apply herbicide to those as well.

You may need to reapply the chemical several times, and it may take years before the stump dies.