Blue Girl Holly

Holly may seem a bit pedestrian of a choice for a plant of the week, but it fits the season and the red berries brighten up these gray fall days. Plus ‘Blue Girl’ Holly is deer resistant (although in Ashland, the deer are ignoring this advice), drought tolerant, tough, and can tolerate sun or shade.

The glossy dark green leaves do have spines but they are not as sharp as many other holly types or even barberry. The leaves look fresh and clean and are complimented by purple stems and bright clusters of red berries. You can keep this holly around 3′-4′ if you like with occasional pruning or let it get 5-6′ tall and 3-6′ wide for a dense hedge. You do need a  ‘Blue Boy’ to keep the berry production up, but it seems that there is usually a holly bush in the neighborhood to assist with pollination. This species is especially cold hardy and can handle clay soils, appreciating the typically acidic pH of clay soils.

Keep watering to the drier side of the spectrum, and prune back if needed in the winter. ‘Blue Girl’ Holly is not a fast grower, so it is a good choice for growing in a container paired with other festive-colored plants, like Heuchera, Nandina, and ornamental grasses.