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CASTLE SPIRE was discovered in 1998 in a selected breeding program in Barmstedt, Germany from a cross of the unpatented Ilex aquifolium ‘Pyramidalis' and Ilex x meserveae BLUE PRINCE. Flowers give way to bright red berries which mature in fall but remain on the plants throughout winter. Greenish-white flowers in clusters of 2-5 appear in May and are generally inconspicuous. It is a dense shrub that features small, oval to elliptical, serrated, glossy deep green leaves (to 2” long). It typically matures to 8-10' tall and to 3-4' wide. ‘Hachfee’, commonly marketed under the trade name of CASTLE SPIRE, is a female evergreen Meserve holly with a compact, upright, pyramidal form. Meserve (1906-1999) who developed the original Meserve holly hybrids. The hybrid name meserveae honors Kathleen K. Tiny white flowers in late spring become abundant red berries. Castle Spire® of course creates amazing privacy and a barrier.
#HOLLY CASTLE SPIRE HOW TO#
How to Use Castle Spire® Blue Holly In The Landscape. Plant within 50 (15.25m) of each other to ensure pollination.
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Castle Spire of course creates amazing privacy and a barrier. Castle Spire Blue Holly Classic blue holly Dramatic pyramidal habit. Castle Spire® is a female shrub and will only have berries if a male pollinator is planted nearby like Castle Wall®. How to Use Castle Spire Blue Holly In The Landscape. Plant within 50' (15.25m) of each other to ensure pollination. Genus name comes from the Latin name Quercus ilex for holm oak in reference to the foliage similarities (holm oak and many of the shrubs in the genus Ilex have evergreen leaves). Castle Spire is a female shrub and will only have berries if a male pollinator is planted nearby like Castle Wall. Subsequent to the original Meserve hybrids, some additional hybrids having slightly different parentage have been introduced into commerce as blue hollies. Distinguishing features of these bushy evergreen hybrids are (a) average height to 6-7’ tall, (b) glossy blue green leaves with prominent spiny margins, (c) purple stems, (d) greenish-white flowers in small clusters in May, (e) showy bright red berries on female plants in fall, often persisting until spring, and (f) excellent winter hardiness to USDA Zone 5. Her efforts resulted in the creation and introduction of a number of hybrids, known today as the Meserve hollies, but which are also often called blue hollies because most have the word blue in the trade name or cultivar name in reference to foliage color. rugosa (Tsuru holly - winter hardy to Zone 3) for purposes of creating an English-style hybrid that would have sufficient hardiness to survive the harsh winters of the northeastern U.S. aquifolium (English holly - winter hardy to Zone 7) and I. Ilex × meserveae, commonly known as Meserve holly or blue holly, is an evergreen hybrid holly that typically grows to 6-8’ tall, but occasionally to as much as 15’ tall.