Blue Prince Holly

Blue Prince Hollies are considered to be deer resistant, making them an excellent choice for gardeners dealing with deer browsing in their landscapes. The dense, leathery, and slightly spiny leaves of Blue Prince Holly tend to deter deer from munching, as they typically avoid plants with tougher foliage or sharp edges. While no plant is entirely deer-proof, Blue Prince Holly is generally not a preferred choice for deer, especially when there are more tender, palatable plants available. This makes it a great option for creating hedges, foundation plantings, or privacy screens in areas prone to deer activity.

In addition to being deer resistant, Blue Prince Holly also provides year-round interest with its glossy, blue-green foliage, maintaining its beauty through all four seasons. The presence of Blue Prince nearby also plays a vital role in pollinating female holly varieties like Blue Princess, ensuring a colorful display of red berries throughout the winter, which deer are also less likely to consume. Planting deer-resistant shrubs like Blue Prince can help protect your garden from damage while creating a beautiful and functional landscape that supports other plants, such as female hollies, for increased berry production and winter interest.

Blue Prince Holly shrubs have moderate tolerance to salt spray, making them a viable option for gardens near coastal areas or along roadsides where deicing salt is frequently used in winter. While they are not as highly tolerant of salt as some other shrubs, they can withstand occasional exposure without severe damage. The thick, leathery leaves of Blue Prince Holly provide a certain level of protection against salt spray, allowing the shrub to maintain its glossy, evergreen foliage even under challenging conditions. However, to keep Blue Prince healthy in environments exposed to salt, it is best to plant it in a location that offers some shelter from direct salt spray, such as behind other plants or a barrier.

For optimal health, it's essential to care for Blue Prince Holly properly if you are planting it in an area with salt exposure. Rinse the foliage with fresh water after a heavy salt spray or deicing to minimize salt buildup on the leaves and reduce potential leaf burn. Additionally, maintaining well-drained, slightly acidic soil can help the shrub recover from any salt-related stress. Blue Prince Holly’s adaptability, coupled with moderate salt tolerance, makes it an attractive choice for adding year-round greenery and supporting berry production on nearby female hollies like Blue Princess, even in areas with occasional salt exposure. With proper care and consideration for placement, Blue Prince can thrive and contribute to a beautiful, salt-tolerant landscape.

Blue Prince Hollies (Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Prince') are not truly native to North America, but rather are a hybrid variety that was developed from the crossing of different holly species, including native and non-native varieties. This hybrid was specifically bred to withstand colder climates, making it well-suited for growing in regions throughout North America, particularly in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8. Although not native, Blue Prince Holly combines the hardiness of Ilex rugosa, a species native to northeastern Asia, with the ornamental qualities of Ilex aquifolium, which is native to Europe. As a result, Blue Prince offers the resilience needed for North American gardens while adding year-round beauty and a critical role in pollinating female hollies for berry production.

Despite not being native, Blue Prince Holly is highly adaptable to many growing conditions found in North America, including cold winters and various soil types, provided they are well-drained and slightly acidic. The dense, glossy foliage of Blue Prince makes it a valuable addition to both formal and naturalized landscapes, where it serves as an effective evergreen hedge, privacy screen, or accent plant. Its compatibility with native and hybrid female hollies, such as Blue Princess or China Girl, ensures abundant berry production in nearby shrubs, supporting local wildlife and providing colorful interest through winter. Although Blue Prince is a hybrid, its adaptability, cold-hardiness, and value as a pollinator make it a popular choice for enhancing North American landscapes with evergreen beauty and ecological benefits.

To plant a hedge of Blue Prince Hollies, begin by selecting a location that offers full sun to partial shade with well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Blue Prince Holly is highly adaptable, but it thrives best in moist, fertile soils. Start by marking out the hedge line and spacing the Blue Prince Hollies 5 to 8 feet apart, depending on the desired density. Dig holes twice as wide as the root ball and about as deep, allowing the roots plenty of room to spread. Place each holly in its hole, ensuring that the top of the root ball is level with the ground. Backfill with soil, firm it gently to eliminate air pockets, and water thoroughly to settle the soil. This will ensure the roots have good contact with the soil and provide a strong foundation for establishing the hedge.

To maintain a hedge of Blue Prince Hollies, it’s crucial to keep the soil consistently moist, especially during the first year as the plants establish. Deep watering once or twice a week is recommended, with more frequent watering during hot or dry spells. Mulch around the base of each holly with 2-3 inches of organic mulch, such as pine needles or shredded bark, to help retain soil moisture, regulate temperature, and prevent weeds from competing for nutrients. Be sure to leave a few inches of space around the trunk to avoid rot. Fertilize Blue Prince Hollies in early spring with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 formula, to encourage healthy growth and keep the foliage vibrant. If planting as a pollinator hedge for female hollies like Blue Princess, ensure the males are within a suitable distance to maximize pollination and berry production.

Pruning is also an important aspect of maintaining a hedge of Blue Prince Hollies. Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins to shape the hedge and remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches. This not only keeps the hedge looking neat and tidy but also promotes air circulation, which helps prevent diseases. Light pruning can be done throughout the growing season to maintain the desired shape and encourage denser growth, which is ideal for a privacy hedge. Blue Prince Hollies are generally low maintenance, resistant to many pests, and tolerant of colder climates, making them an excellent choice for an evergreen hedge that provides year-round structure, beauty, and functionality in the landscape.

Blue Prince Holly is an essential male pollinator for several female holly varieties, ensuring they produce the characteristic bright red berries that add visual interest to the winter landscape. One of the primary female hollies that Blue Prince will effectively pollinate is the Blue Princess Holly (Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Princess'), a popular evergreen shrub known for its dense foliage and abundant berries. Blue Prince Holly also works well as a pollinator for other Meserveae hybrid hollies, such as China Girl Holly (Ilex x meserveae 'China Girl') and Blue Maid Holly (Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Maid'). These female hollies bloom at the same time as Blue Prince, allowing for efficient cross-pollination and a vibrant display of berries that last well into the winter months.

To ensure successful pollination and berry production, it's important to plant Blue Prince Holly within 30 to 50 feet of the female holly shrubs. This proximity allows insects, such as bees, to easily transfer pollen from the male to the female flowers during the blooming period. One Blue Prince can typically pollinate several female hollies, making it a practical and valuable addition to the landscape if you want to achieve a lush and berry-filled garden. The combination of Blue Prince and female varieties like Blue Princess or China Girl provides both beauty and ecological benefits, as the berries attract birds and other wildlife, adding year-round interest and biodiversity to your outdoor space.

Nursery pot sizes are called gallon sizes. You’ll see one-gallon, two-gallon, etc. This can be misleading to gardeners as a one-gallon pot would lead you to believe that the pot would hold one gallon of milk. This is not the case. Gallon is just a term of reference leftover from the days of nurseries growing plants in metal containers.

• 1-gallon (#1) pot for example, can hold 3 quarts of soil yet they are still considered a 1-gallon pot.
• 2-gallon (#2) pot holds 1.5 gallons of soil
• 3-gallon (#3) pot holds 2.9 gallons of soil
• 5-gallon (#5) pot holds 4.9 gallons of soil

What you actually should be concerned with is the dimensions of the pot rather than capacity because let’s face it the size of the hole you dig is dependent on the dimensions, not the capacity.

These are approximate measurements and dimensions vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but all dimensions fall in the following specifications.

• 1 Gallon Pot - 6.5 to 7.5 inches wide by 7 to 8 inches deep
• 2 Gallon Pot - 8.5 to 9.5 inches wide by 8 to 9 inches deep
• 3 Gallon Pot - 10.5 to 11.5 inches wide by 9.5 to 10.5 inches deep
• 5 Gallon Pot - 12 to 13 inches wide by 11 to 12.5 inches deep

These are approximate measurements and they do vary from supplier to supplier.