Erect, narrow-pyramidal, and densely branched, 'San Jose' is the female expression of Ilex x koehneana — the one that carries the fruit. Growing to 20 to 25 feet tall with a spread of 12 to 15 feet, its branches are closely clothed in glossy, spiny-margined, dark green leaves between 2 and 3 inches long, giving the whole plant a fine, tightly woven texture that reads crisply from across the garden in every season.

In May, small greenish-white flowers emerge with a faint fragrance that is easy to miss and rewarding to find. Given a male pollinizer nearby, those flowers give way to bright red drupes about a third of an inch in diameter, ripening in fall and persisting well into winter — reliably drawing birds and providing the kind of seasonal intensity that justifies the space. Grow it in medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade, with some afternoon shelter in hot climates and protection from cold winter winds. Prune lightly in winter as needed, and let the rest of it simply be.