China Boy Meets China Girl Holly Combo

Fred and Ginger. Lucy and Desi. Danny and Sandy. Ariel and Eric. William and Kate. Some couples just seem to go together, don't they?

Well, we're happy to offer you one of the all-time classic couples — China Boy Holly and China Girl Holly (Ilex x meserveae 'Mesdob' and 'Mesog'). Our expert plantsmen have grown the two together in a single container for optimal fruiting effect.

Having China Boy and China Girl in such close proximity all but guarantees pollination of the female blooms. You'll enjoy a lush display of rich red holly berries through fall and well into winter.

After all, you'd hate to miss out on the beautiful red Holly fruit! It truly adds a whole new layer of elegance to this bushy evergreen shrub and brightens your seasonal landscape.

Super hardy in heat and cold, sun or partial shade, this easy-care combo looks phenomenal all year long. With their rich, shiny green, distinctive foliage, you'll find plenty of ways to use them in your landscape.

Now, Nature Hills also sells a Blue Prince/Blue Princess combination Holly, another member of the Meserve Hybrid Hollies. However, the China Girl and China Boy Hollies grow larger. They are better able to tolerate the high heat of Zone 9 while remaining very cold hardy to Zone 5.

There are some visual differences between the two, as well. China Boy and China Girl varieties feature light green stems and bright green foliage that is shiny and slightly cupped. Each leaf margin turns a bit inward for added texture and interest in Holiday arrangements.

If you have the space, why not use both varieties of Holly combinations in your landscape? You could use a smaller, darker Blue Prince/Blue Princess combo on either end of a long hedge of China Boy/Girl to 'open and close' the look. Imagine how pretty a mixed arrangement of high-quality evergreen foliage and berries will be in your winter decor.

The more Hollies, the better, according to your local bluebirds. They consider the bright red Holly berries to be a feast. Birds also love the spiky green foliage, which provides a perfect shelter. You can really feel good about this wonderful choice.

Order your Holly combos today and get ready to 'deck your halls'!

How to Use China Boy Meets China Girl Holly Combo in the Landscape

Hollies take to pruning as easily as a Boxwood. Keep these at whatever height you'd like, no fuss, no muss. The dark green leaves are big and glossy and the perfect backdrop for those classic red Holly berries. Use branch cuttings for your holiday tables and vases and your guests will think you paid a florist to do your decorating!

No matter how you use these magnificent broad-leaved evergreens, you'll adore the tremendous show each fall and winter. Plant a specimen at the corner of your home to anchor your foundation planting. Showcase this lovely plant for all to see.

We recommend giving single specimens plenty of room to reach their mature height and mature width. Far better to enjoy their graceful upright rounded form as they grow naturally, than have to fight against them in a too-tight planting site. Don't make extra work for yourself.

One thing you may not have thought of, but those traditional spiky Holly leaves make a great deterrent in the landscape. Try them as a formal-looking 'safety measure' to control the flow of traffic across your lawn or along the length of your property.

It's usually far cheaper to install a 'living fence' than a hardscaped one. Hollies will grow together without any problems.

To create a solid screen, plant 3 feet apart on center, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next. You could even use a staggered, zig-zagging row to fill in faster.

Trust us, no one will be tempted to tango with your China Holly combo planting. (You'll want to wear gloves when you prune it, as well!)

If you have a wide open area fill, try these as a mass planting. They'll be a remarkable feature in your Winter Garden. Use a zig-zagging series of rows along the length of the space. Keep new plantings weeded and mulched until the plants grow together.

Why not use several plants in a long row to create a dramatically elegant screen? You'll love the privacy!

Go ahead, replace those tired old overgrown evergreens with these colorful beauties. You'll easily add 'bling', along with that all-important year-round structure to your landscape.

#ProPlantTips for Care

While China Boy & China Girl are easy to grow in full sun or part shade exposure, full sun will produce the best berries.

These tough plants are quite adaptable to most soils. Ideally, they would have consistently moist, slightly acidic soils. But the most important thing is to give them a well-drained site.

Suspect poor drainage? Do you see puddles that remain for a long time after a rain? Use a raised bed or plant in a mounded heap of additional dirt added on top of poorly draining soil.

Provide a moderate amount of water on a regular basis. Cover the root system with a nice, thick layer of pine bark mulch, but pull it back a bit from the stems by several inches for air circulation.

In mid-fall, start studying your plants to see where you'll want to make your pruning cuts for Holiday Decorations. First, pick branches that cross each other, or are growing into the center of the plant.

Leave the rest for the plants to use to produce flowers next spring. After all, you won't see berries unless you let some flowers grow!

Even tightly sheared hedge plants should be allowed to bloom first before trimming. We recommend using a light hand with the trimmers. Hollies are lovely plants that need only a minor tip-pruning haircut to look tidy and neat.

The crisp foliage lends a strongly formal air all by itself, and the upright branch structure creates a strong outline all year long.

Don't wait to order our top-grade field-grown plants and you'll get a marvelous 2-for-1 package delivered right to your door. Enjoy the expertly grown China Boy Meets China Girl Holly Combo this year!