Read practical advice
Explore straightforward guides for choosing, using and caring for garden products.
Visit the Advice CentreOutdoor plants
Product information
Everything useful in one place, with the most important information kept separate from the buying controls above.
About this product
Ilex × meserveae 'Blue Maid' – Blue Holly (5 Litre Pot, Cone Form)
Plant Highlights: Neatly clipped cone shape • Glossy blue-green evergreen foliage • Bright red berries on female plants when pollinated • Excellent for year-round structure • Ideal as a feature plant or formal entrance display
Overview
Ilex × meserveae 'Blue Maid' is a hardy evergreen holly valued for its glossy blue-green foliage, naturally dense growth and excellent garden performance. Supplied as a clipped cone, it provides an instant architectural feature for entrances, patios and formal planting schemes.
As a female cultivar, 'Blue Maid' is capable of producing bright red berries in autumn and winter if a compatible male holly flowers nearby. The evergreen foliage provides year-round interest, while the berries add valuable seasonal colour and can also provide food for birds.
Plant Details
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Ilex × meserveae 'Blue Maid' |
| Common Name | Blue Holly 'Blue Maid' |
| Plant Type | Evergreen shrub |
| Pot Size | 5 litre |
| Supplied Form | Clipped cone |
| Position | Full sun to partial shade |
| Soil | Fertile, moist but well-drained soil |
| Foliage | Glossy blue-green evergreen leaves |
| Flower Colour | Small white flowers in spring |
| Berry Colour | Red (female plant, when pollinated) |
| Mature Height | 2.5–4m (can be kept lower with regular trimming) |
| Mature Spread | 1.5–2.5m |
| Hardiness | RHS H6 (−20°C to −15°C). |
Growing Guide
Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Water regularly during the establishment period and during prolonged dry spells, particularly for container-grown plants.
A sheltered position will help maintain the best foliage quality, although this holly is well suited to Irish gardens. Apply a mulch in spring to help conserve moisture and improve soil structure.
Wildlife
The spring flowers provide nectar for pollinating insects. When pollinated, the bright red berries are an important food source for birds during autumn and winter, while the dense evergreen foliage offers year-round shelter.
Pruning
The clipped cone shape requires only light trimming once or twice during the growing season to maintain its neat outline. Remove any damaged or wayward shoots as needed.
Why We Love It
With its naturally dense evergreen foliage and elegant clipped form, 'Blue Maid' brings structure and year-round presence to the garden. Whether used in pairs beside a doorway or as a focal point in a formal border, it provides lasting interest in every season.
Product Information
- Supplied in a 5 litre pot.
- Trained as a cone.
- Evergreen shrub with glossy blue-green foliage.
- Female cultivar that can produce red berries when a compatible male holly is nearby.
- Suitable for containers, entrances, formal gardens and mixed borders.
- Best grown in full sun or partial shade in fertile, well-drained soil.
Good to Know: The 5 litre pot refers to the container size and the cone describes the plant's trained form at the time of sale. For reliable berry production, a compatible male holly flowering at the same time is required nearby.
Growing & care
- Plant type
- shrub
- Position & light
- Full sun· Partial shade· Sheltered
- Watering
- moderate
- Soil & drainage
- Acidic· Well drained· Moist
- Mature size
- 4.0m high· 2.5m wide
- Flowering
- Spring· White
- Foliage
- evergreen
Useful to know
Good for containersGood for bordersPollinator friendly
Choose with confidence
Find the right plant for your space
Use the Plant Finder, practical advice or our in-store team before deciding.
See it before choosing
Visit Easy Garden to compare products in person and speak with our team.
Plan your visit