Blue Girl Holly

Blue Girl is a female, evergreen Meserve holly with glossy blue-green foliage and bright red berries that color the shrub in fall and winter. Plant a compatible male pollinizer, commonly Blue Boy, nearby for fruit set. Published estimates put its mature height between 6 and 10 feet and its width at about 3 to 6 feet. ## Selection and seasonal display The accepted identity is Ilex × meserveae ‘Blue Girl’. Small white flowers appear in spring; the female plant then bears red berries if pollinated. Monrovia lists the shrub at 6–8 feet tall and 3–6 feet wide, while Morton Arboretum also reports 6–8 feet high and Illinois Extension lists 8–10 feet for this cultivar, so the height label spans the published range. Monrovia lists USDA zones 5–9. The exact [RHS cultivar record](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/96055/ilex-%C3%97-meserveae-blue-girl-f/details) uses the same hybrid name and identifies it as female. ## Site and uses Grow it in full sun to part sun in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil; average garden soil is acceptable. It is evergreen, with spiny blue-green leaves and an upright form. Use it as a hedge or screen, foundation planting, border shrub, or specimen. Birds feed on the red berries, which remain ornamental through winter. A male partner is essential; Monrovia names Blue Boy as the pollinizer, and the [Morton Arboretum profile](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/meserve-holly/) describes the Blue Girl/Blue Boy pairing. ## Maintenance Water regularly while the plant establishes, then water when the top couple of inches of soil are dry. Feed before new growth begins in spring and shear once a year if needed to keep a tidy shape, as recommended in the [Monrovia growing guide](https://www.monrovia.com/blue-girl-holly.html). The broader [North Carolina Extension guide](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ilex-x-meserveae/) notes that Meserve hollies prefer moist soil and may need protection from drying winter winds.