Ilex x meserveae 'HECKENPRACHT' blue holly, Meserve holly - male

Germany has another novelty among blue hollies. Its name is Heckenpracht and it is a cross between ilex aquifolium Pyramidalis and ilex x meserveae Blue Prince®.

Heckenpracht is a bushy shrub with upright branches and evergreen, medium large, glossy leaves that are dark green and serrated at margins but not sharp. As a male variety it is an ideal pollinator for combination with female hollies to produce berries in autumn.

Meserveae hollies are called “blue hollies” thanks to the shade of the species leaves that are dark green with bluish tint. And the name meserveae was chosen for its cultivator, Kathleen Meserve, who, literally on her windowsill, made a cross of ilex rugosa and ilex aquifolium in 1950´s to achieve excellent cold hardiness on a fabulously foliaged evergreen plant. She died in 1999 at the age of 93 but left behind an impressive line of these evergreen superbly hardy varieties.


Blue hollies need almost no maintenance if you provide them with slightly acidic soil at the beginning and enough moisture for the first couple of years to enable establishing extensive root system. Pruning is not needed as it forms a compact shrub on its own but you can shape it in early spring or in midsummer. Blue hollies are also renowned for their hardiness: this one has not yet been tested to the very lowest point but is expected to survive -27°C or even -29°C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 07-06-2011.