Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Princess’ (Blue Holly)

One of the most popular female hybrid holly selections, Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Princess’ is a bushy, spreading, broadleaf evergreen shrub with excellent year-round interest. It produces abundant small white flowers in spring, giving way to a profusion of attractive bright red berries in fall. Extremely showy, they enliven the winter landscape and persist throughout winter. This holly variety also offers dark purple stems and glossy, dark blue-green, spiny-toothed leaves. ‘Blue Princess’ is a female plant and needs a male pollinator to produce the attractive red berries, such as ‘Blue Prince’ or ‘Blue Stallion’

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society and winner of the Cary Award which recognizes plants that are particularly adequate for New England, offer superior landscape appeal, are winter hardy in zone 5 or colder, and are pest resistant.
• Features a broad, upright habit and grows up to 10-15 ft. tall (300-450 cm) and 8-10 ft. wide (240-300 cm).
• Full sun to part shade lover, this plant is best grown in average, medium, well-drained soils. Tolerates light or heavy soils but prefers moist, acidic soils.
• Generally pest and disease free
• Mass in mixed shrub borders. Perfect as a specimen plant, hedges, or for foundation plantings. The red-fruited branches make lovely home decorations.
• Prune to shape in early spring just before new growth appears
• Propagate by seed in containers (germination may take 2-3 years). Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or early fall