did you know?

'Blue Princess,' a Meserve hybrid holly, was bred by Mrs. F. Leighton Meserve in the early 1950s in St. James, New York. Meserve hybrids combine the cold hardiness of the prostrate holly with the beauty of the English holly

general maintenance:

'Blue Princess' forms a compact plant that needs little or no pruning.

pests/diseases:

Blue hollies are generally carefree.

how to sow/plant:

Choose a sunny to partly sunny site with well-drained soil, making sure there is enough room for shrub to grow to its mature spread. In early spring, dig a hole twice the width of container or root ball. Set plant in hole at same depth or slightly higher than it was in pot or, if balled, level with top of root ball. Fill in hole around plant with soil. Mound soil to form a 2-inch-high ridge around perimeter of the hole to act as a catchbasin. If plant is balled in plastic, carefully remove plastic before planting. Burlap may be left around root ball and peeled back and left in ground once plant is set in hole. Water thoroughly, filling basin and allowing water to settle several times. Spread 2-inch layer of mulch around base of plant.

water and fertilize:

Maintain uniform soil moisture the first season. Be sure the soil is moist before the ground freezes in fall. Each spring before growth begins, apply an all-purpose fertilizer, following label directions. Once shrub is established, usually by the third year, water only in times of drought.

garden hint:

Hollies are dioecious, meaning that they bear male and female flowers on separate plants. To be sure you get berries on your female holly, plant a male holly within 300 feet of females. 'Blue Prince' holly is the best pollinator for 'Blue Princess.'

features:

• Attractive Fruit
• Attracts Birds
• Deer Resistant
• Evergreen
• Shade Tolerant
• Winter Interest

garden uses:

• Edging

other uses:

• Cut Flower (use branches and fruit in winter arrangements)
• Holiday displays (use branches and fruit for winter wreaths, garlands, and swags)

combine with:

spring- and summer-blooming deciduous shrubs such as viburnum, cinquefoil and meadowsweet as a foil for their flowers. Or use with needled evergreens such as pine and spruce.