Holly BushesA Grower's Guide to Holly
Holly Types

Blue & Meserve Holly

Blue hollies (Ilex × meserveae) are cold-hardy hybrids with lustrous blue-green foliage and heavy red berries — the 'Blue Prince and Blue Princess' pair that brought holly berries to northern gardens.

Holly for cold climates

Bred by Kathleen Meserve by crossing English holly with a hardy Asian species, the blue hollies combine glossy blue-green, purple-stemmed foliage with the toughness to thrive where English holly fails. Females such as Blue Princess and Blue Maid carry abundant red berries when a male — Blue Prince or Blue Stallion — grows nearby.

The related China Girl and China Boy hollies add heat tolerance to the same hardiness, extending the range north and south.

Quick tip: the names are unreliable — 'Blue Prince' is the male and 'Blue Princess' the berrying female. Plant one prince for every few princesses.

Growing blue holly

Full sun gives the heaviest fruit; the plants are hardy through USDA zones 5 to 8 in moist, acidic, well-drained soil. Prune in late winter to keep them dense.

Popular blue & meserve holly

The 10 hollies below are among the most widely grown and dependable in this group. Each profile covers foliage, sex and pollination, berries, size, hardiness, and how to grow it well.