Ilex × meserveae ‘Blue Prince’
Overview
Uses: Hedges, screens, foundation plantings, and as a pollinator for female blue hollies.
Benefits: The male partner for Blue Princess, Blue Girl, and Blue Maid hollies. It sets no berries itself, but one plant within about 50 feet pollinates several females so they fruit heavily. Glossy, spiny, blue-green evergreen leaves on purple stems make it a handsome hedge or screen in its own right.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–8
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub
Growth Habit: Pyramidal, Upright — dense and bushy.
Foliage Color: Glossy Dark Green with a blue sheen
Mature Height: 8–12 feet
Mature Width: 6–10 feet
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
The holly that makes the berries happen, and a fine evergreen in its own right.
Hollies come as separate male and female plants, and only the females bear fruit. Blue Prince is the male counterpart to the popular female blue hollies, and one plant nearby is what turns a planting of Blue Princess, Blue Girl, or Blue Maid into a winter display of red berries.
It earns its place even apart from that job. The leaves are glossy, spiny, and a deep blue-green, carried on dark purple stems, and they look as good in January as in June. The plant grows into a dense, upright pyramid about eight to twelve feet tall, making it a strong choice for hedges, screens, and the corners of a foundation planting.
Like the other blue hollies, it was bred for cold tolerance from a cross of English holly and prostrate holly, so it brings the classic holly look to gardens that are too cold for English holly. Because it bears no fruit, it is also a tidy choice beside walks, driveways, and patios.
Care
Blue Prince Holly Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. Sun brings the densest growth and the heaviest flowering, which means more pollen for the females nearby.
Blue hollies do best in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Avoid sites where water collects, and amend very sandy or very heavy soil with compost at planting.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season. Because evergreen leaves lose moisture through winter, water thoroughly in late fall before the ground freezes and keep a two-to-three-inch layer of mulch over the root zone.
In the colder part of its range, a spot sheltered from strong winter wind and harsh winter sun helps prevent leaf browning. Feed each spring with a slow release fertilizer, ideally one made for acid-loving plants.
Prune in late winter or early spring, before new growth. It responds well to shearing for a formal hedge, or can be left largely natural with only stray branches shortened.
Size
What Size is the Blue Prince Holly for Sale Online?
Our Blue Prince Holly ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Blue Prince Holly Grow?
Expect about 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide at maturity, in an upright, pyramidal shape. For a hedge, space plants about 5 to 6 feet apart; as a pollinator for a group of females, one plant set among them is enough.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
It is usually called blue holly or Meserve holly, after the breeder of the original blue hollies.
Will Blue Prince produce berries?
No. Blue Prince is a male holly, so it flowers but never fruits. Its job is to supply pollen to female hollies, and it does that well. If you want berries on the plant itself, choose a female such as Blue Princess, Blue Girl, or Blue Maid and plant Blue Prince nearby.
Which hollies will it pollinate?
It pollinates female blue hollies, including Blue Princess, Blue Girl, and Blue Maid, as well as other evergreen hollies that bloom at the same time. One male can serve several females planted within about 50 feet, and closer is better. It is not a match for deciduous winterberry holly, which needs a winterberry male of its own. Browse more Evergreen Plants.
Can I use it for a privacy hedge?
Yes. Its dense, spiny branches make an effective year-round screen, and mixing Blue Prince into a row of female blue hollies gives you both privacy and berries from the same hedge. For more screening plants, see our Privacy Trees & Shrubs.
