Growing the Mademoiselle Holly

Size and Appearance

The Mademoiselle Holly is an upright, conical evergreen shrub, naturally growing 2.5 to 3 times taller than its width. It has a good growth rate, reaching 5 feet tall and 18 to 24 inches wide within 5 years. 10 feet tall within as many years, 15 feet is a reasonable expectation for a mature plant, with a natural spread of about 8 feet. Of course, like all holly bushes, regular trimming can keep it considerably smaller, if that is what you need. The bold foliage is about 6½ inches long, and half that in width, oval to rectangular, with a series of bold spines along the hedges – the classic ‘holly leaf’ look. The surface is very glossy and lustrous, and a dark, rich green for most of the year. In spring the new growth is unique, emerging a bold, dark red with chocolate overtones. A bush with its new leaves could almost be mistaken for a flowering shrub.

The true flowers appear later, and can easily be overlooked. They are clusters of tiny yellow-green flowers at the junction of leaves and stems. If pollinated these develop into small green berries which by mid-fall will be about ¼ inch across, glossy and bright red, sparkling through the bus in clusters, and remaining beautiful through much of the winter before being eaten by hungry birds. For a good berry crop you need to have a male holly bush growing within 100 feet. We recommend the ‘Blue Prince’ Holly, but it is likely that male varieties of the English holly, and other male blue hollies, are also suitable.

Using the Mademoiselle Holly in Your Garden

With its neat pyramidal form coming naturally, the Mademoiselle Holly is perfect for specimens, on a lawn, around your home, or out in garden beds. With some trimming, it can easily be as neat and perfect as you wish. Plant singly or in clusters of 3 or 5, spacing them 5 to 10 feet apart, depending on the effect you want to achieve. With its upright shape, this is also a great holly for hedges, spacing plants 3 feet apart for a dense structure. The more you trim the thicker your hedge will become.

Hardiness

The breeding of the Mademoiselle Hollymeans it is very hardy in zone 5, handling low winter temperatures with ease. It also grows well in zones 8 and even zone 9, so it can be grown all across the country.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

This versatile bush will grow well in full sun or partial shade, and in most soils that are not too wet or very dry. For the best growth rich, well-drained but moist soils are best, but this tough and adaptable plant will grow well in almost all gardens.

Maintenance and Pruning

Generally free of pests or diseases, the vigorous is also not eaten by deer. It can be trimmed as needed, between late spring and early fall, but a lot of trimming tends to reduce the berry crop. A single trim of new growth in late spring will preserve most berries, which are carried on stems from the previous year.

History and Origin of the Mademoiselle Holly

The exact nature of the Mademoiselle Hollyis not known for certain, as it was found as a seedling growing among a range of blue hollies, hybrids created by the famous Kathleen Kellogg Meserve. These are mostly hybrids between English holly, Ilex aquifolium, and prostrate holly from Japan, Ilex rugosa, an extremely hardy but low-growing species. The resulting hybrids, of which there are many, are called blue holly, or Ilex x meserveae. This seedling, officially called ‘Madez’, was found in 2009 by Paul Hanslik, of Holly Ridge Nursery, Geneva, Ohio. Based on appearances the most likely seed parent is a hybrid holly called Meschick, and sold as Dragon Lady. Although created by Mrs. Meserve, Dragon Lady is not a blue holly, as it crosses the English holly with Ilex pernyi, a cold-hardy species from Mongolia and south-western China. It’s correct name, and therefore the correct name for its seedling, is Ilex x aquipernyi. The pollen parent was probably a blue holly like Blue Prince. Paul Hanslik was granted a patent on Madez in 2018, and it is sold as Mademoiselle.

Buying the Mademoiselle Holly at the Tree Center

This outstanding evergreen is sure to be right at home in your garden, and its breakthrough spring coloring is a real winner. Add it to your collection, or make this your ‘holly of choice’, especially if you live in a cooler zone. Order now, because new varieties like this are always in high demand.

Growing the Honey Maid Holly

Size and Appearance

The Honey Maid Holly is an upright evergreen shrub that grows quickly to become 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide within 5 years, maturing to somewhere around 8 feet tall, and 5 feet wide, if you don’t trim it. The dense, twiggy growth keeps branches to the ground for years, so you don’t have awkward spaces below it leaving gaps in your beds. The leaves are oval, and unlike most holly they don’t have vicious spines along the edges, just a few scattered short points along an irregular border. They are smooth and glossy, with a leathery texture, and about 2½ inches long and 1 inch wide. The leaves are a soft, slightly yellowed green – much brighter and lighter than the typical dark leaves of holly. Around the edge of each leaf is a bold band of creamy-white. This bright border is slightly irregular, but continues all the way around the leaf. It is almost pure white in spring when the leaves are new, maturing to a creamy shade for the rest of the year.

In spring clusters of many tiny flowers open where the leaves meet the stems on branches from the previous year. These tiny blossoms have white petals tipped with red. Since this is a female tree (holly has separate male and female trees) those flowers will develop into berries, first green, and then by fall bright, shining red. These are ¼ inch across, and produced in abundance, making a striking display against the white and green leaves. The berries are attractive for months, ripening in September, and still colorful the following March. For a good berry crop a male tree is necessary. We recommend the Blue Prince or Castle Wall® hollies as ideal pollinators, or for a smaller garden plant the compact Blue Baron. One male tree will pollinate 5 to 7 female trees.

Using the Honey Maid Holly in Your Garden

With its bright and cheerful foliage and months of red berries, this shrub is ideal for brightening your beds, especially during those quiet months of winter. Sparkling in the winter sunshine, or glowing against black earth, it’s a real stunner that you will love – so much brighter than dark green holly bushes. Plant it in shrub beds, as a smaller lawn specimen, around woodlands, or even, from zone 6, in a planter box or tub. Its almost spineless leaves make it safe to plant beside paths and entrances too. Make an amazing bright hedge, or mix it with a dark green holly for a unique ‘tapestry’ hedge. For hedges, space plants 2½ feet apart.

Hardiness

Like other blue hollies, the Honey Maid Holly is very hardy, especially compared with English holly and many others. It grows well in zone 5, and possibly also in sheltered spots in warmer parts of zone 4, yet it also grows well all the way into zone 9.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

A sunny location, or partial sunlight each day, is best for the Honey Maid Holly. This will give the best leaf colors and also the heaviest berry crops. It will also grow in full shade that is light and dappled, such as beneath deciduous trees or beside a north-facing wall, but not as vigorously. It grows well in all kinds of well-drained soils, with the strongest growth in rich and moist soils, although once established it is drought resistant to ordinary summer dry periods.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Honey Maid Holly is resistant to the insect pest holly leaf miner (Phytomyza), and also to the leaf diseases Tar Spots (Macroderma), and Leaf Spot (Cerocespora). Other pests and diseases are rare, and deer leave it alone. It can be trimmed, but its naturally neat pyramidal form makes that mostly unnecessary, and excessive trimming will reduce the berry crop. Trim in early summer when you can see the developing berries to minimize trimming them off. Don’t trim later in the season.

History and Origin of the ‘Honey Maid’ Holly

We have the enthusiasm and dedication of Kathleen Kellogg Meserve to thank for the group of cold-resistant hollies we call ‘blue holly’. She had a large garden in St James, Long Island, and there she gathered together many different species of holly, wanting to create reliable varieties for colder regions. She crossed together the English holly, Ilex aquifolium, and a very cold-hardy, but low-growing holly from Japan called Ilex rugosa. Over several decades she produced a whole range of them, collectively known today as Ilex x meserveae. One of her best was called Mesid, and she patented it in 1979. She then registered the name Blue Maid® for her tree. Late last century, at a nursery in West Grove, Pennsylvania, Angel Sanchez was growing plants of Blue Maid®. He spotted a unique branch growing on one, which had variegated leaves. He rooted pieces of it, and the resulting plants were given the name Honey Maid. The plant was patented in 2000 (PP# 12,060), a patent that has now expired.

Buying the Honey Maid Holly at the Tree Center

For bright, reliable evergreen brightness year round, especially in cooler parts of the country, the beautiful Honey Maid Holly is unbeatable. Despite its obvious beauty, this plant is often not available, so order now and take advantage of the stock we have, while it is available. You will be so glad you did.

Growing the Blue Baron Holly

Size and Appearance

The Blue Baron Holly is a rounded evergreen bush, growing vigorously but compactly to reach about 2 feet in height and 3 feet in width after 5 years in your garden. As it matures it will probably reach 4 feet, with a spread of up to 6 feet – still compact enough for smaller spaces. It has a dense, bushy form with many branches and a naturally tight, bun-like form, without the need for trimming. The leaves are glossy and a very dark green, with bluish overtones in certain lights. They are oval, about 2½ inches long and 1½ inches wide, with many spines along the edges, in that classic holly way. New leaves are a lighter green, and in winter the leaves become heavily tinted with burgundy tones, creating an attractive winter look. In spring dense clusters of many tiny flowers form on stems from the previous year, at the base of every leaf. Look closely and you will see that the tiny whitish petals are tipped with violet. These are the male flowers that will produce a big crop of pollen. This plant will pollinate all blue hollies (Ilex x meserveae) as well as many related hybrid hollies that have English holly, the Japanese Ilex rugosa, or Ilex pernyi in their breeding, such as Red Beauty® and  Mademoiselle.

Using the Blue Baron Holly in Your Garden

The compact, rounded form of the Blue Baron Holly makes it perfect for growing among the foundation evergreens around your home, giving a neat form without the need for much trimming. It is perfect in the front of beds, paired at the foot of some steps, or on either side of a gate. It can be grown alone, in clusters, or even planted spaced 2 feet apart for an excellent low hedge that is not only attractive but intruder-proof. The spiny leaves will discourage both four-legged and two-legged intruders. It from zone 7 on it can even be grown in pots and planter boxes as an interesting evergreen for year-round foliage.

Hardiness

The Blue Baron Holly is a blue holly, and it has hardy genes. It grows well even in areas where hollies can be difficult, like zone 5, yet it also grows well in warmer areas, all the way into zone 9.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Planted in full sun, partial shade, and even in light full shade, the Blue Baron Holly will thrive, although flowering can be reduced in areas with lower light levels. It grows well in most garden soils, but avoid very dry areas, and areas that are constantly wet. The ideal soil is rich in organic material, well-drained, and moist, but this is not a difficult plant to grow in ordinary conditions.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Blue Baron Holly has excellent resistance to the foliage diseases Tar Spots (Macroderma), and Leaf Spot (Cerocespora). It is normally free of other diseases and pest problems, and its spiny leaves mean deer leave it alone. It can be trimmed for perfect form and neatness, but we recommend leaving it untrimmed if you are growing it as a pollinator, as this will give you the most flowers. If you do want to trim, do this in early summer, after the new growth has matured a little, and don’t trim late in the season.

History and Origin of the ‘Blue Baron’ Holly

The blue hollies are the product of an enthusiastic breeder of hollies, Kathleen Kellogg Meserve. At her garden on Long Island you spent decades producing cold-resistant plants by breeding together the English holly, Ilex aquifolium, and a prostrate holly from Japan called Ilex rugosa. The many varieties she produced are all called ‘blue holly’ for the very dark green of their foliage, and known as Ilex x meserveae. One of her most popular male hollies is called Blue Prince, which Mrs. Meserve patented in 1972. In 1993 Gerald Geers was growing ‘Blue Prince’, at his property in Chance, Maryland, when he spotted a branch that had rich burgundy leaves in winter. He rooted that stem, growing a new plant. It turned out to be much more compact, while still vigorous, and he named it ‘Blue Baron’. In 2005, after years of observation, he was granted a patent on his new variety.

Buying the Blue Baron Holly at the Tree Center

Finding suitable male hollies can be difficult, and if you do they can take up a lot of room in your garden. The Blue Baron Holly solves both these problems, making a handsome small evergreen, with attractive winter foliage, and serving as a pollinator to many of the holly bushes in your garden. Since it is rarely offered, it won’t be in stock for long, so order now, while we still have plants for you.

Growing the Drops of Gold Japanese Holly

Size and Appearance

The Drops of Gold Japanese Holly is a mounding evergreen bush that within 5 years will be at least 18 inches tall and 24 to 30 inches wide. The ultimate size, if untrimmed, could be more than 5 feet tall and 10 feet wide, but the size is easily controlled by trimming. This plant has a natural bushy form, with many branches. The leaves are densely packed along the branches, and they are about 1 inch long and ½ inch wide, smooth, glossy and oval, tapering to a very short tip, with slightly serrated edges but no spines. They perhaps most closely resemble the leaves of boxwood. When grown in sun the new leaves develop gold variegation, which entirely covers the leaf, or sometimes the golden leaves have thin green edges. Older leaves, and shaded leaves, are dark green. The overall effect is of a heavy dusting of gold all over the plant, making a bright splash in your garden.

Around the end of May, or into June, clusters of small greenish-white flowers may be seen at the base of the leaves on older stems. These are usually more abundant on untrimmed plants. If you have a male Japanese holly variety in your garden to be a pollinator, you may see small black berries developing by the fall, but these are not particularly decorative.

Using the Drops of Gold Japanese Holly in Your Garden

Grow the Drops of Gold Japanese Holly as a highlight of color in the foundation planting around your home. Use it to cover areas of ground in beds, or as an edging on larger beds. Trim it into a hedge (space plants 18 inches apart) of almost any size and form. Use it for topiary balls, domes, and other rounded shapes. It also grows well in containers, needing nothing with it to brighten a terrace or patio.

Hardiness

The Drops of Gold Japanese Holly is hardy throughout zone 6, and all the way into zone 9. It is more heat and humidity resistant than many other holly bushes, and certainly more resistant than boxwood, which makes it a great substitute for that plant, which is difficult to grow in southern parts of the country.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

We recommend growing the Drops of Gold Japanese Holly in full sun. When grown in areas with more than an hour or so of shade each day the leaves will be much greener, and in deeper shade it will be entirely green. It grows well in just about any soil that isn’t always wet, although it has a slight preference for richer soils containing plenty of organic material that are slightly acidic. However in practical terms this plant will grow easily just about anywhere. It is resistant to heat, drought, and high humidity, once it is established. It has some salt resistance, although less than plain green Japanese Holly does.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Drops of Gold Japanese Holly is normally untroubled by pests or diseases. It is easy to grow, and benefits from some evergreen fertilizer in spring. It can be trimmed as needed, to shape it into hedges, mounds, balls and other decorative forms. Trim anytime between late spring, once the first new growth has matured a little, and early fall. Later trimming may stimulate new growth that is more prone to winter damage.

History and Origin of the ‘Drops of Gold’ Japanese Holly

Japanese holly, also horned holly, Ilex cornuta, grows wild in Japan, eastern Russia, China, and Korea. Wild plants often grow into small trees with thick trunks, but almost all the plants in gardens in Japan, China, Europe and America, are selected forms with small leaves and compact growth.

R. W. Byrnes Nursery Inc is situated in Geneva, Ohio, and it was there that Ron Byrnes was growing some Japanese hollies of the variety ‘Hetzii’. That variety has a rounded, shrubby form and is like a larger version of the popular Convexa Japanese holly often used as a substitute for boxwood. In the winter of 1987 Ron spotted a unique branch on one of the plants, a branch with golden leaves. He took cuttings and grew the plants to study them more. When he was satisfied that they were stable and valuable for gardens, he named his new plant ‘Drops of Gold’ and patented it in 2003. It was originally released by the Conard-Pyle nursery, Pennsylvania, under their Star® Roses and Plants brand.

Buying the Drops of Gold Japanese Holly at the Tree Center

If you are tired of struggling with boxwood and its problems and diseases, switch to Japanese holly – you won’t regret it. For an easy golden accent shrub you can’t beat the ‘Drops of Gold’ Japanese Holly, so order your plants right away. Our stock is limited and won’t be on our farm for much longer.

Growing the Golden Oakland® Holly

Size and Appearance

The Golden Oakland® Holly is an upright evergreen bush or small tree, growing at a rate of 8 to 12 inches a year, maturing to a pyramidal form that will be 15 to 20 feet tall and up to 15 feet across at the base. It has a very dense and neat growth habit, much more so than many other holly bushes. It remains bushy and well-limbed right to the ground for a very long time, but will in time mature to a tree with a short trunk, covered in smooth gray bark. The leaves are packed tightly along the branches, keeping the look solid and dense. The leaves are oblong, about 3 inches long and an inch or more wide. They typically have 6 sharp spines along each side, creating a lobed look that is distinctive, and tells us this is an oak-leaf holly, a hybrid known for vigor and rapid growth. The leaves are leathery, with a smooth, glossy surface. New leaves in spring are almost completely bright, light yellow. Soon a central blotch develops which is at first pale yellow-green, darkening to a light green which is still pale and yet bright. This is certainly one of the brightest golden hollies, and the pure-yellow outer area of the leaves is very wide and distinctive, not just a thin yellow line around a dark-green leaf.

The original Oakland® Holly is known for being one of the few hollies that will carry a good crop of its distinctive orange-red berries without another variety for pollination, but so far it seems this golden form doesn’t flower. That doesn’t mean yours won’t one day, but berries cannot be guaranteed on this variety.

Using the Golden Oakland® Holly in Your Garden

As a striking accent in a large bed, it would be hard to beat the Golden Oakland® Holly. Grow it among the dark evergreens around your home, in the foundation planting, for variety and color. Use it for a lawn specimen, or plant it at the edge of a woodland – wow! It would also make a spectacular hedge, trimmed or untrimmed, with the ability to give high screening. Plant bushes 3 feet apart for a smaller hedge, and 4 to 5 feet apart for taller screening.

Hardiness

The Golden Oakland® Holly is hardy and reliable, without winter damage, in all the warmer zones, from zone 6 to zone 9.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Holly trees tolerate considerable shade, but for good color it would be best to give your Golden Oakland® Holly plenty of sunshine. It will take a couple of hours of shade each day, but too much will reduce the vigor and make the leaves greener. It grows best in rich, moist but well-drained soil that is neutral or slightly acidic. However, it is not demanding at all, and grows well in just about any well-drained soil. Poor, sandy soils should be enriched with organic material, and use some more as mulch. You will be amazed at how good the growth is.

Maintenance and Pruning

The vigor of the Golden Oakland® Holly means the typical pests and diseases of holly trees are less likely to become problems, and this tree is usually left alone by deer, so it will be easy to grow. Water regularly during the first season or two, and use some mulch and some fertilizer for evergreens in spring. This will maximize growth. The natural density of the branching means that pruning isn’t normally needed, but you can trim anytime between late spring, after the new growth has matured a little, and early fall. Don’t trim late in the season, as new growth could be damaged in the winter. Although generally stable, if you do see a plain-green branch on your tree, trace it back to where it is sprouting, and cut it out cleanly. You can also remove some lower branches as your bush grows, and create an attractive tree with a central trunk, if that suits your garden needs better.

History and Origin of the Golden Oakland® Holly

The oak-leaf holly is a hybrid plant between three species. The Chinese holly, Ilex cornuta, was crossed with Ilex perneyi. Then the seedlings were crossed with Ilex latifolia from Japan. This was done by Jack Magee, at his nursery in Poplaville, Mississippi, during the 1970’s and 80’s. In 1989 he spotted a part of one plant that had much denser, more compact branching. The plants he grew from that branch became the Oakland® Holly.

Robert E. Lee is an azalea nurseryman from Independence, Louisiana, famous for creating the Encore® Azaleas. He had Oakland® Holly growing in his nursery, and one day in 2006 he spotted a unique branch on one, with beautiful variegated leaves. The Golden Oakland® Holly was born. He patented it in 2019 with the name of ‘Magden’, and registered Golden Oakland® as its name. It has been released as part of the Southern Living® Plant Collection.

Buying the Golden Oakland® Holly at the Tree Center

We think this is the very best variegated holly to come onto the market in many years. We are sure you will too, and our growers have worked to make some gorgeous bushes for us to send you – true exactly to Robert Lee’s discovery. Don’t hesitate, because you will love this bush, and the brightness it brings. Order now.

Growing the Centennial Girl Holly

Size and Appearance

The Centennial Girl Holly is an upright evergreen shrub or small tree, with a natural pyramidal form, reaching 12 to 15 feet in height, and spreading up to 8 feet wide at the base. It keeps its lower branches well, or it can be pruned up into a taller tree-form. The bark is dark-gray and smooth. The leaves are 2½ inches long and 1-inch wide, dark-green ovals, with a smooth satin surface and a leathery texture. Unlike English holly, which has angular leaves with spines sticking out in all directions, the spines on these leaves are in rows along the edges. There are usually 6 or 7 spines along each side, and these are short, so this plant is much less ‘thorny’ than English holly, and doesn’t snag your clothes when you are working around it.

In May clusters of greenish-white flowers can be seen along the older stems, and these attract bees and other pollinators. Without a pollinator this plant may produce a few berries, but for a worth-while display a male tree needs to be growing nearby. We recommend Blue Prince, which is a hybrid of the English holly, and hardy in zone 5. Other male blue hollies will also work well, and in warmer areas male English holly and American holly bushes can also act as pollinators. You need one male tree for every 5 to 7 trees of the Centennial Girl Holly, and these can be scattered in a hedge or screen, or simply growing nearby, within about 100 feet.

The berry crop ripens in fall, and stays on the tree throughout most of the winter, rarely being taken by birds before late winter. The crop on this tree is abundant, with the berries in clusters of about 6 all along the branches. They are well over ¼ inch in diameter, and a rich Christmas red – perfect for wreaths and decoration, or simply to brighten your garden through the cold, gray months.

Using the Centennial Girl Holly in Your Garden

This great tree is perfect for a lawn specimen, perhaps as a pair on either side of an entrance. It fits well into the foundation planting around your home, in the angle of walls or between windows. Plant at least 4 feet away from a wall, fence or path and allow room for its mature size. It can be used in shrub beds, as an effective backdrop to flowering shrubs, and also in more natural settings, such as scattered in open woodland, or along the edge of a group of trees. It makes effective screening, or an evergreen hedge. Space plants 4 to 5 feet apart for hedges, and up to 8 feet apart for screening. This tree would also grow well in warmer zones in a large tub or planter box, outdoors all winter from zone 7.

Hardiness

More cold-resistant than English holly, the Centennial Girl Holly will thrive in zone 5, and of course in warmer zones as well, all the way into zone 9.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Although holly will grow in relatively low-light, it does much better in full or partial sun. In cooler zones full sun is ideal, or areas with a couple of hours of shade a day. In hotter areas afternoon shade will be appreciated. Rich, moist soil that is well-drained and not swampy is ideal, and this tree will grow in most soils, with some preference for slightly acidic ones. Use plenty of organic material when preparing the planting area, and use it as mulch.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Centennial Girl Holly is resistant to holly leaf miner, and to both leaf tar spot and anthracnose spots, so the foliage is always bright and healthy. Deer usually leave it alone. It can be trimmed or clipped, ideally once the berry crop is visible, to minimize removal of stems with berries. Too much trimming will reduce the production of berries.

History and Origin of the Centennial Girl Holly

Kathleen Kellogg Meserve, the grand lady of holly breeding, is usually associated with her cold-hardy series of blue hollies, like Blue Prince and Blue Princess. She was never content, though, to stick to them, and keep breeding well into her later years. She took out patents on most of her plants – in fact her last patent was in 1999, the year she died, aged 94. What was it for? You guessed it – Centennial Girl. It’s not clear exactly when she did the breeding, but patent #10,750 tells us where it came from. (That patent expired in 2019). At her 10-acre gardens in St. James, Long Island she took pollen from the well-known English holly, Ilex aquifolium, and used it to pollinate a rare Chinese holly, Ilex centrochinensis. Coming from western China, this shrubby plant has smooth, virtually spineless leaves that are glossy and lighter green. It is significantly more cold resistant than the English holly. Among the seedlings she grew she selected the best, and after growing it for a while that plant became Centennial Girl.

Buying the Centennial Girl Holly at the Tree Center

This lovely holly bush is ideal for everyone who loves the look of English holly, but lives where it is too cold for it to grow well. It’s brighter green color and profuse berry crop makes it perfect – as many of our clients also think, so our stock won’t last long. Order now.

Growing the Berry Poppins® Winterberry

Size and Appearance

The Berry Poppins Winterberry is one of the most compact winterberry varieties around, growing between 3 and 4 feet tall and wide. It grows steadily to form a dense clump of sturdy upright branches, which produce many shorter side shoots, and the smooth, gray bark is the perfect contrast to the winter berries. The leaves are glossy and dark green, about 2½ inches long and 1½ inches wide, with very tiny serrations along the edges. They turn golden yellow in fall.

After your bush has been growing in your garden for a year or two, berry production begins. After the new leaves sprout out in spring you will see blooms growing along the stems, in clusters where the leaves meet the branch. Winterberry is a species of holly, and like all holly bushes it has separate male and female plants. For berries to develop there must be a male plant around – called a pollinizer – so that insects can bring pollen from it to the female bush. We recommended the Jim Dandy Winterberry, and it is best to plant one male bush for every 5 to 10 female bushes, among the females, or within 50 feet.

If you have a suitable male bush, then those berries will develop steadily over winter, turning red just about when the leaves turn yellow. When the leaves drop, the clusters of bright red berries packed all along the branches will be revealed – this variety carries an exceptionally heavy crop. The berries are about ¼ inch across, but abundant, in clusters of 5 to 7 berries, repeated all across the bush. They last for months, looking great against the snow. Branches can be cut and brought into the house for vases or wreathes as part of your Christmas decorations.

Using the Berry Poppins® Winterberry in Your Garden

With its compact form this is an ideal bush to plant near your house or out in the garden. It looks just as good in formal settings as it does in your beds or in natural settings. It grows well along streams, near water, edging woodland or in a garden of native plants.

Hardiness

The Berry Poppins Winterberry is one of the most heat and cold tolerant shrubs around. It grows happily in zone 3 and just as well in zone 9, so hot or cold, it doesn’t matter to this tough and reliable shrub.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun gives the biggest berry crop on your Berry Poppins Winterberry, but it grows well in partial shade too, and even in light full shade, although there it will produce fewer berries. It grows in most ordinary soils, preferring damp and even wet ground. Add plenty of organic material when planting, and as mulch every year or two. Water regularly during dry spells, as this bush is tough, but it isn’t particularly drought resistant.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests and diseases are rarely a problem with the Berry Poppins Winterberry, and deer generally leave it alone, so it’s easy to grow and generally trouble-free. It’s a steady grower, but allow a few years for it to establish itself before expecting a heavy berry crop. Pruning is not needed – in fact trimming should be avoided, as it encourages new growth that won’t carry a good berry crop. Don’t let that stop you taking a few branches for a vase, though. Once your bushes are older you could remove any old branches that have weakened and stopped making berries, but really, just let your bushes mature into natural beauty.

History and Origin of the Berry Poppins® Winterberry

The winterberry, Ilex verticillata, grows wild across a vast part of North America, from eastern Canada all the way into Florida, and west to Alabama and Tennessee. It is usually found in swamps, along streams, and growing in damp woodlands. Wild plants can be over 10 feet tall and spread into large thickets. Like other holly bushes all parts of this plant are mildly toxic, but pets rarely bother with it at all.

The Simpson Nursery Company, in Vincennes, Indiana, produced many varieties of winterberry, including one called ‘Red Sprite’. Growing to about 6 feet tall, it is big for today’s small gardens. So Michael Farrow, a plant breeder at Spring Meadow Nursery Inc. in Grand Haven, Michigan, got to work. In 1999 he collected a batch of seed from plants of ‘Red Sprite’ and grew them, so that he had many seedlings to study. In 2002 he selected one plant that was more compact than any of the others. After further testing he realized he had a new, more compact plant that also produced an abundant berry crop. He was granted a patent in 2015, naming his plant ‘FarrowBPop’. This is the plant released by Spring Meadow Nursery with the registered trademark name of Berry Poppins®, under their Proven Winners® brand.

Buying the Berry Poppins® Winterberry at the Tree Center

You will love the dense, compact growth of this great variety, and be amazed at how many berries pop out. Don’t hesitate to order, and don’t forget to pick up at least one plant of the Jim Dandy Winterberry, to keep Ms. Poppins happy on spring evenings.

Growing the Red Sprite Winterberry

Size and Appearance

The Red Sprite Winterberry is a compact deciduous shrub with a broad, spreading form, reaching between 4 and 6 feet tall and up to 8 feet wide. It is slower growing, so it will take some years to reach these dimensions. Many branches grow from the ground, making this a dense and bushy plant. It has a very twiggy habit, with many short side branches on the longer stems. The broad oval leaves are usually no more than 2 inches long, and only very slightly leathery, not resembling the classic spiny holly leaf at all. They are glossy and mid-green, turning bright yellow in fall, sometimes with red tones as well.

After the new leaves sprout out in spring, look closely among them. Around the beginning of May you will see small greenish-white flowers in clusters all along the branches. You probably won’t notice how they develop into clusters of tiny green berries over the summer months, but once the leaves fall you will be delighted to see the branches densely covered in many clusters of bright red, ½-inch diameter berry, making a brilliant display against the smooth, light-gray stems. These berries last on the tree for months, brightening your winter garden. They can be cut and placed in vases indoors, where they last for a long time, or mixed into wreaths with evergreen branches.

Holly trees are unusual, because male and female flowers are found on separate bushes. Obviously the Red Sprite Winterberry is a female tree, and she needs companionship to make her berries. For a good crop you need to grow male bushes with it, and these need to be of the right variety. Females bloom at different times, and since this bush is early flowering, it needs an early flowering male. The recommended variety is the Jim Dandy Winterberry, and it is best to plant one male bush for every 5 to 10 female bushes. Bees will move the pollen from that ‘pollinizer’ bush to your Red Sprite bushes.

Using the Red Sprite Winterberry in Your Garden

This bush is an attractive green plant in spring and summer, and it looks attractive in fall too. Of course the red berries are the big draw, so plant it where they can be enjoyed during the winter months. It is happy in any garden bed, and also along a stream, by a pond, around wooded areas and in natural gardens of native plants. Its compact form makes it ideal for smaller gardens or for mass planting in big beds.

Hardiness

The Red Sprite Winterberry has an amazing tolerance of different climates, and it grows just as well in zone 3 as it does in zone 9.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Tolerant of a different light levels, your Red Sprite Winterberry bushes will bloom and berry best in full sun or with some partial shade. They will also grow well in shady spots, but fruiting may be reduced. This bush grows well in most soils, preferring damp and even wet ground, and acid soils with plenty of organic material added to them. Wet places can be hard to fill, so this is a great choice. It also grows well in ordinary garden soils, but not in dry, very sandy places, or in very alkaline, chalky soils.

Maintenance and Pruning

Like many native plants, this bush is normally not bothered by deer, who might at worse take a few nibbles. It is rarely bothered by pests or diseases and it’s easy to grow. With its compact form it rarely needs pruning. Once your bushes are 5 years old you could start taking a few of the oldest branches out in spring to encourage new growth and keep your bushes vigorous. Otherwise, nothing is needed to succeed with this easy plant.

History and Origin of the Red Sprite Winterberry

The winterberry, Ilex verticillata, is an American native shrub, found growing from Newfoundland to Alabama, in swamps, along streams and in damp woods. Like other hollies, all parts are mildly toxic.

The Simpson Nursery Company, in Vincennes, Indiana, is one of the oldest family nurseries still operating in the country, and their specialty is winterberries. Robert Simpson, who ran the nursery from 1968, bred many new varieties, including one that was at first called ‘Nana’. Later it was officially registered with the name ‘Red Sprite’.

Buying the Red Sprite Winterberry at the Tree Center

Often overlooked, winterberry are great plants for all gardens, but especially valuable in cold zones. The Red Sprite Winterberry is perfect for smaller spaces, and famous for its heavy crops. Order now, as these top-quality varieties are so much better than wild plants, and they sell out very quickly.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, we are offering the Jim Dandy Winterberry, to do the honors, so to speak, for your ladies. You need just one plant for every five to female bushes, and with a pollinizer such as this you will have bushes that are literally dripping with heavy crops of berries – which was why you planted them. As well, the Jim Dandy Winterberry is an attractive deciduous shrub in its own right, and it makes a valuable background plant for semi-shaded parts of the garden, bringing foliage variation and interesting greenish-white flowers from late May to late June.

Growing the Jim Dandy Winterberry

Size and Appearance

The Jim Dandy Winterberry is a deciduous, bushy shrub, growing at a moderate pace to reach 5 feet tall and wide. It’s compact form is dense and twiggy, with lots of branches sprouting up from the base. The leaves don’t look much like holly leaves at all – their edges have a row of small, delicate serrations, and any resemblance ends there. They are glossy, though, oval, around 2 to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, with a mid-green color. Usually in fall they turn a clear golden yellow, but sometimes they will take on some maroon red tones as well. From spring to fall this shrub is a quiet, green presence in your beds. It begins to flower around the beginning of May, but you would be forgiven for missing it. Clusters of small, whitish-green blooms form along the stems as the base of each leaf, so they are mostly hidden by the foliage. They are interesting, but not showy. They are, though, why you are growing this plant. The timing of the flowering coincides with many female winterberry varieties, and pollination is needed for them to develop their berries.

The winterberry is native to North America, from Canada to Florida, and there are two ‘races’. One, slower-growing and found in the north, blooms early to allow time for the berries to mature. Another, faster growing and blooming later, is found further south. You need to match the male pollinator to the type of the female tree. The Jim Dandy Winterberry is a pollinator for northern forms, and early blooming female bushes. Use the Southern Gentleman Winterberry for later blooming varieties.

Using the Jim Dandy Winterberry in Your Garden

This easy-care shrub is great for background in beds. It thrives in wetter soils, so grow it along a stream or near a pond, and of course plant it among your female winterberries for optimal pollination. Being a native shrub it is also perfect for a garden of native plants.

Hardiness

The Jim Dandy Winterberry is surprisingly adaptable, growing well in zone 4 and even surviving in zone 3. It will grow all the way to zone 9, but of course you will probably be growing it in a more northern zone.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

You can grow the Jim Dandy Winterberry in a wide range of light levels, from full sun, through partial shade, and even in light, dappled, full shade – although that will give some reduced vigor. It grows in most kinds of soil that are not too dry, and prefers acidic, heavy and wet soils, with plenty of organic material mixed in. It grows well in most ordinary garden conditions, but plants in full sun should be watered regularly.

Pruning and Maintenance

The Jim Dandy Winterberry doesn’t need any special care – it is completely self-sustaining. If you want to tidy it, remove any dead stems or twigs when you see them in spring, and remove some of the oldest stems each year once your plant is about 5 years old. This encourages new stems to sprout from the base, rejuvenating the bush.

To use this plant as a pollinizer (a ‘pollinator’ is the insect that carries pollen from plant to plant), allow one bush for every 5 to 10 female trees. Plant within 200 feet of the females, and preferable alongside or among them.

History and Origins of the Jim Dandy Winterberry

The winterberry, Ilex verticillata, grows across a very wide range, all the way from eastern Canada through to Georgia and even Florida, and west to Minnesota and Tennessee. Some people call it ‘Canada holly’.

The variety called ‘Jim Dandy’ was first called ‘Dwarf Male’ or ‘Early Male’, before being finally given a formal name. It was selected by the late Bob Simpson, of Simpson Nursery Company, in Vincennes, Indiana. He was dedicated to winterberry, and his nursery is the main developer and grower of a wide variety of plants. Use it for all early-blooming varieties.

Buying the Jim Dandy Winterberry at The Tree Center

For a natural garden, damp places, and of course to grow those lovely stems of berries for the holiday season, you need a male pollinator for your female trees. Many nurseries don’t stock them, so they are always rare and hard to find. We know our stock will sell out fast, so order yours right away, while they are still available.

Growing the China Girl Holly

Size and Appearance

The China Girl Holly is an upright, bushy evergreen shrub with a well-branched structure, keeping leaves to the ground and growing into a compact, symmetrical bush. It grows about 6 inches a year, so within 10 years it will be about 6 feet tall, and will reach 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 or 8 feet wide when mature. The leaves are broadly oval to rectangular and about 2 inches long. There is a sharp spine at the tip and two or three pairs of spines along the sides, and the leaf is a rich, dark green, with a smooth, glossy surface and a sturdy leathery texture. The leaves hold their color all year round, and the new spring leaves are a brighter green, darkening as they mature.

After a few years of growth your bush will begin to bloom, and you will see clusters of small white flowers at the base of the leaves, along the older stems. Like most holly bushes this plant is not self-fertile, so you do need a suitable male tree to pollinate these flowers and form berries. We suggest the variety China Boy as the best pollinator. You only need one male tree for every 7 female trees, so when making a hedge just slip a suitable number of male trees into the row, and you will have a great berry-filled hedge. China Boy is an attractive evergreen, as lovely as China Girl, and it will often also pollinate other hollies you may have, so one or two male trees is all you need in your garden for prolific berry production.

Using the China Girl Holly in Your Garden

This lovely holly bush is a perfect medium-sized plant for foundation planting around your house, or out in your shrub beds as background plants. It can be trimmed into domes and pillars, or left to grow naturally – it will still be dense and bushy. Use it along the edges of woodland areas, or as a specimen on a smaller lawn. It is also excellent, planted 3 or 4 feet apart, for making dense hedges up to 6 feet tall.

Hardiness

The China Girl Holly is tested and reliably hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, so it grows perfectly in zone 5. At the colder end of zone 5, and into warmer parts of zone 4 it will still thrive, especially if planted in a sheltered spot. Using an anti-desiccant spray, and watering deeply in late fall, will reduce or eliminate winter damage to the foliage in the coldest areas.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun or partial shade are ideal for the China Girl Holly. Too much shade will reduce blooming, and therefore berry production, but this bush grows well with minimal direct sunlight. It grows best in richer, moist soils, but they must be well-drained, so avoid areas with standing water. Add organic material when planting and water regularly during the first seasons. After that this bush had good resistance to normal periods of drought. It also has moderate resistance to salt spray.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests and diseases are rare and deer normally leave the China Girl Holly alone. Trimming is not needed to keep it neat and dense, as it naturally grows that way. If you do want a more formal look, trim young plants after the first flush of spring leaves have darkened a little. When plants are older and fruiting you can trim later, when you can see the berries developing, to help keep a good crop on your bushes.

History and Origin of the China Girl Holly

Kathleen Kellogg Meserve didn’t plan to be a successful plant breeder – it just happened. She moved to a 10-acre estate on Long Island shortly after WWII, and loved holly at Christmas. At that time it was all shipped in from the northwest, because the English holly, Ilex aquifolium, was all there was to grow. She decided to breed a hardy holly for the northeast, and she crossed the English holly with a hardy Japanese species, Ilex rugosa. The ‘blue’ hollies she created, called Ilex x meserveae, are certainly tough, but they weren’t the only crosses she made. Around 1970 she took the Chinese holly, Ilex cornuta, whose foliage and fruit she admired, and crossed it with Ilex rugosa. Among the seedlings were plants that were much more cold resistant than the Chinese holly, and had good foliage and lots of fruit. One of the best she named ‘Mesog’, and patented it in 1980. It was released with the trademark name of China Girl®, but that trademark, held by the nursery of the Conard-Pyle Company, was abandoned in 2016, and the patent expired in 2000.. Although sometimes included among the ‘blue’ hollies, the China Girl Holly is a different cross, and shouldn’t be called Ilex x meserveae.

Buying the China Girl Holly at the Tree Center

It’s great to be able to offer gardeners in colder areas the chance to grow beautiful holly bushes with that real Christmas look and lots of berries. This popular plant is always in high demand, so order now, while we still have plants available to ship to you.