Scientific Name:
Ilex
x
meserveae
Pronunciation:
EYE-lecks ex MESS-erv-ay
Common Name:
blue holly
Family Name:
Aquifoliaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Similar to Ilex aquifolium, structure pyramidal; stems purple tinged-green; leaves satiny dark green, serrated, spiny, elliptic to ovate; flowers pinkish-white. Winter ID: fruit glossy red berries on female plants.
Habit:
Dense, Twiggy, Upright
Form:
Pyramidal - widely
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Garden origin (Ilex rugosa x I. aquilfolium)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract birds, Fall interest, Hedge row, Mixed shrub border, Screening, Security/barrier, Sheared hedge, Topiary, Wind break, Winter interest
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green
Colour in Fall:
Bluish, Green
Shapes:
Oblanceolate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Obtuse
Margins:
Spinose
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
4
Corolla Shape:
Cruciform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
Flowers may appear to have both stamens and pistils but individual plants are functionally uni sexual.
Fruit Type:
Berry (true)
Fruit Colour:
Red
Fruiting Time:
Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec
Additional Info:
Showy, Persistent, berry-like: 4 - 6 seeds each with own hard endocarp (pyrenes) - slightly toxic to people (may cause vomiting and diarrhea)
Bark or Stem Colour:
Red, Brown
Organ Modifications:
Spines
Propagation:
Cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Prune early spring before new growth.
Pest Susceptibility:
Leaf miner insect (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
Course(s):
- HORT 2355
- CLT Training
Location(s):
- (GAZ) GAZebo
- (GAZS) GAZebo South
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLW) Turf Field Lab West