Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Prince' & Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Princess'
Overview
Uses: Evergreen hedges and screens, foundation plantings on the north and east sides of a house, property-line borders, wildlife plantings, cut greens for winter arrangements.
Benefits: A male and a female holly supplied together so the berry set is settled from the start, glossy blue-green spined foliage that holds all winter, and heavy red fruit on the female plant from fall into early spring.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4–7
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun/Shade
Life Cycle: Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub
Growth Habit: Upright, Rounded — dense branching to the ground on both plants.
Bloom Color: White
Foliage Color: Dark Green, Blue-Green
Mature Height: 8–12 feet
Mature Width: 6–10 feet
Bloom Season: Late spring
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Holly berries require two plants. This is both of them.
Blue hollies are dioecious — male flowers on one plant, female flowers on another — and only the female carries fruit, and only if a male is close enough to pollinate it. Buying a single holly and waiting for berries that never come is one of the most common disappointments in the nursery trade. 'Blue Prince' is the male, 'Blue Princess' is the female, and they are grown and sold together here specifically so the question is answered before it comes up.
Both plants carry the same foliage: thick, glossy, spined leaves in a dark blue-green that holds its color hard through winter, on purple-tinged stems. Both are dense to the ground and hold their shape as a hedge or a standalone mass. The visible difference arrives in fall, when 'Blue Princess' sets heavy clusters of bright red fruit along the stems and keeps them through the cold months until birds strip them in late winter.
The Meserve hybrids exist because English holly is beautiful and not remotely cold-hardy. Kathleen Meserve crossed it with the tough, low-growing Ilex rugosa in the 1950s and produced a line that carries English holly's gloss and spine into zone 4. That hardiness is the reason these are the standard evergreen holly across most of the northern United States.
Plant them within about fifty feet of each other and the pollination takes care of itself. Closer is better if the space allows.
Care
Blue Prince & Princess Holly Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. Full sun produces the densest growth and the heaviest fruit set; partial shade is well tolerated and is often the better choice in exposed sites, where winter sun and wind together can burn the foliage.
Soil should be acidic, moist, and well-drained. Hollies dislike both drought and standing water, and they will show poor color and thin growth in alkaline ground. Amend with compost or pine bark at planting and mulch two to three inches deep to keep the shallow roots cool and evenly moist.
Water regularly through the first two growing seasons and deeply during dry spells thereafter. A thorough watering in late fall before the ground freezes goes a long way toward preventing winter leaf burn.
Feed in early spring with an acid-formulated slow release fertilizer. Yellowing leaves with green veins usually indicate soil pH is too high rather than a lack of nitrogen.
Prune in late winter while the plants are dormant, which is also when cut stems are most useful indoors. Both take shearing well and can be held to a formal hedge line, though pruning the female heavily in summer will remove developing fruit. Position the plants where their mature spread will fit rather than relying on annual cutting back.
Size
What Size is the Blue Prince & Princess Holly Combo for Sale Online?
Our Blue Prince & Princess Holly Combo 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 & Princess Holly Grow?
Expect roughly 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide at maturity for each plant, reached gradually over many years and easily held smaller with annual pruning. For a hedge, space 4 to 5 feet on center; as separate specimens, allow 6 to 8 feet between plants.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
These are usually sold as Blue Holly, Meserve Holly, or Blue Prince and Blue Princess individually. The group as a whole is often listed as the Blue Holly series.
Which plant produces the berries?
'Blue Princess' is the female and carries all the fruit. 'Blue Prince' is the male; it flowers but never sets berries, and its job is pollination. Both are needed for fruit, which is why they are paired here.
How far apart can they be planted?
Bees carry the pollen, so the two do not need to be adjacent. Within roughly fifty feet is reliable, and closer is better. One male will pollinate several females, so additional 'Blue Princess' plants can be added later without adding another male.
Will the berries attract birds?
Yes. The fruit is not a preferred first choice, so it usually hangs untouched through the fall and early winter and then gets stripped in late winter when other food is gone — which is precisely when it does birds the most good. The spiny dense growth also makes good nesting and shelter cover.
How do these handle a hard winter?
Well, which is the reason the Meserve hybrids were bred. They are dependably hardy to zone 4, far colder than English holly can manage. Foliage burn in exposed windy sites is the usual complaint and is best avoided by siting them out of direct winter wind. Other plants that carry foliage through the cold months are grouped in our Evergreen Plants collection, and taller screening options are in Privacy Trees & Shrubs.
