Illustration
Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly
Ilex crenata 'Mad-ic-i'
Also called chubby hubby
Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 6–8. Expect it to reach about 6 ft tall and 3.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 5 years (a house reading).
Is Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by Pet Poison Helpline.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly
Plant Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 7, the middle of its hardy zones 6 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 7, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 7 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly get?
6 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult3.5 ftwideSee Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly about 3.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Chubby Hubby Japanese Holly's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on October 17, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- firsteditionsplants.comFirst Editions (Bailey Nurseries, the introducing brand)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water and bloom months and color
- siteone.comSiteOne Landscape Supply (Chubby Hubby, MAD-IC-I, PP32,035)height, spread, hardiness zones, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- wilsonbrosgardens.comWilson Bros Gardens (Chubby Hubby, MAD-IC-I, PP32,035)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water and bloom months and color
- Plant Addictsqueue store; Brand: First Editionsheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water and trait tags
- Nature Hills NurseryFirst Editions Chubby Hubby, MAD-IC-Iheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and water
- Missouri Botanical GardenIlex crenata, the speciessun, water and bloom months and color
- NC State ExtensionIlex crenata, the specieswater, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Sooner Plant FarmFirst Editions Chubby Hubby, MAD-IC-I, PP32035height, spread, hardiness zones and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.