Ilex Blue Maid
Ilex Blue maid is a frost-resistant variety of holly which is widely used for hedging purposes. The branches of this plant have a shiny, blue-green color. It is mainly grown for its ornamental value because of its attractive, bright red berries. However, this plant should be planted next to its male variant ‘Blue Prince’ to produce the berries.
The plant has prickly leaves to protect against intruders. For this reason, it is recommended that you wear protective clothes and gloves when pruning because the thorns may injure you. This female variety is poisonous; therefore, you need to be careful when handling it.
Care & Advice
Here are a few care and maintenance tips for Ilex Blue maid:
Woody plants should be watered less frequently than herbaceous plants or tender annuals. Ilex Blue maid can go for weeks without supplemental water except during extreme windy or hot weather. When watering from a sprinkler or hose, you should do it slowly and deeply, but not frequently to avoid root disease.
Give the soil some time to dry a few centimeters before irrigating. In arid climates, you will want to use drip irrigation and water at least twice a week to keep moist. You should also be prepared to water the soil during prolonged dry spells even in winter. Also mulch the planting area to prevent water losses to the environment.
It is important that you prune Ilex Blue maid for size control as well as for the safety of pedestrians. Pruning also helps to remove disease or dead plant parts or train the plants into hedges or any other interesting shape.
Broadleaves can be cut as hard as needed back to the trunk. Fresh growth will sprout near the cut ends. Prune your Ilex Blue maid plants in late winter or spring depending on when they flower
Feed the plant in its early growing cycle with a generic N-P-K fertilizer. Follow the application instructions on the fertilizer park