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Hello, I purchased eight Ilex vomitoria "Schilling's dwarf" Yaupon
holly plants to use as a miniature hedge underneath my oak trees. I
live in the hot, tropical part of Florida.

When I got home, I noticed the tag said "full sun," something I did
not notice while in the store.

First, has anyone here had any luck growing Schilling's Yaupon holly
in partial or complete shade? I have read that it "grows best in full
sun," but where I live, we have plants that say they take "full sun,"
but actually grow better in partial shade because the sun is very
intense here.

Second, would this be a hard plant to keep trimmed to approximately
one foot high, one foot wide, and three feet long? I am not an expert
hedger/trimmer, so I have a lot to learn. (Two shapes I have
considered: (a) a rounded one-foot-by-one-foot; (b) a one-foot-high by
one-foot-high by three-foot-long oval)

Third, I am wondering if planting this so closely to my live oak trees
(the dwarf holly will be a hedge encircling the oaks) will damage or
encroach on the oaks. I have read that this type of holly has a
hardy, widespread root system.

Fourth, is the plant easily contained within a specified growing area?
I would like to easily keep it contained with clippers. If it tends
to creep and spread underground and slowly take over my lawn, I
wouldn't be too happy with it. (I don't want to end up fighting to
eradicate it from my lawn.)

Instructions are to plant the plants four feet apart. If I want to
keep them at a dwarf size of one-foot-wide by one-foot-high, what
happens if I plant them closer together; say, two feet apart?

If there are better choices for a miniature hedge underneath my oaks,
I would be open to suggestions. I have heard of a type of Japanese
boxwood with a serrated, very tiny leaf, but do not know the species
or if it even exists.

Thanks in advance to anyone for advice!