Blue Holly Holly
Blue Princess
Evergreen · Female · Red berries · Zones 5-8
Blue Holly Holly
Blue Prince
The male pollinator for Blue Princess and other Meserve hollies.
Blue Prince is an evergreen blue holly holly valued for its dense, dependable evergreen habit and its easy, resilient growth. Below is a full profile of Blue Prince — its characteristics, how to grow it, whether it needs a pollinator for berries, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About Blue Prince
Blue Prince belongs to the blue & meserve holly, a group defined by a dense, rounded to pyramidal evergreen shrub. Ilex × meserveae, bred by Kathleen Meserve, brought glossy foliage and heavy red berries to northern gardens where English holly fails.
Blue Prince is evergreen and hardy across USDA zones 5-8, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right acidic, well-drained soil and seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
Blue Prince makes a dense, rounded to pyramidal evergreen shrub, typically around 8-10 ft tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. Its foliage is lustrous blue-green leaves on distinctive purple stems. Knowing a holly's mature size and habit is the key to placing it well: give Blue Prince room to reach its full spread without crowding, which also keeps air moving through the plant and disease at bay.
Berries and pollination
Blue Prince is a male holly. It bears no berries of its own; its value is as a pollinator, supplying the pollen that nearby female hollies need to fruit — and as a handsome evergreen in its own right.
Remember: holly is dioecious — male and female flowers grow on separate plants, and only pollinated females bear fruit. See our full guide to holly berries and pollination for how to guarantee a berry crop.
How to grow Blue Prince
Plant Blue Prince where it will get full sun to part shade in acidic, moist, well-drained soil. Full sun gives the densest growth. Set the plant at the depth it grew in the pot, water it deeply while it establishes, and mulch the root zone to hold moisture and keep the soil cool and acidic.
- Light: Full sun to part shade; full sun gives the densest growth.
- Soil: Acidic, moist, and well-drained, ideally pH 5.0–6.5. Improve heavy or alkaline ground with organic matter and keep it mulched.
- Water: Deep, regular watering while establishing; steady summer moisture.
- Feeding: An acid-forming holly fertilizer in early spring keeps the foliage deep green.
- Pruning: Shape in late winter, before growth begins, to preserve the flowers that become berries.
Where to use Blue Prince in the garden
Blue Prince suits cold-climate hedges, foundation shrubs, berry-for-winter plantings, and specimen shrubs. Pair a berrying female such as Blue Princess with evergreens and winter-interest shrubs, keeping a Blue Prince nearby to pollinate it.
Common problems and care
Blue hollies are cold-hardy and easy in moist, acidic, well-drained soil and full sun, which gives the heaviest berry set. Watch for the usual holly troubles — leaf miner, scale, and spider mites, and root rot in soggy ground — and head them off with the right site, good drainage, and good air flow. Yellowing leaves usually signal alkaline soil or poor drainage rather than disease.
Blue Prince — frequently asked questions
How big does Blue Prince get?
Blue Prince grows into a dense, rounded to pyramidal evergreen shrub, typically reaching 8-10 ft tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. Its final size depends on your climate, the site, and how you prune it.
Does Blue Prince have berries, and does it need a male holly?
No. Blue Prince is a male holly, so it does not bear berries. Its role is to pollinate nearby female hollies so that they can fruit.
Is Blue Prince evergreen or deciduous?
Blue Prince is evergreen, holding its lustrous blue-green leaves on distinctive purple stems through the winter.
What hardiness zones does Blue Prince grow in?
Blue Prince is hardy in USDA zones 5-8. That range describes the winter cold it can survive; gardeners colder than zone 5 should give it a sheltered site or choose a hardier holly.
Is Blue Prince easy to grow?
Blue hollies are cold-hardy and easy in moist, acidic, well-drained soil and full sun, which gives the heaviest berry set. Give Blue Prince an acidic, well-drained soil and the ordinary seasonal care any holly appreciates, and it is a straightforward, low-maintenance shrub.
When should I prune Blue Prince?
Prune Blue Prince in late winter, while it is dormant and before spring growth begins — that shapes the plant without removing the flower buds that become the next season's berries.