Ask Me Help Desk - HOLLY BUSHES: Blue Prince and Princess

HOLLY BUSHES: Blue Prince and Princess

Hello:

I HOPE someone can help me. I purchased 6 bushes (Holly) from Lowe's. 3 were marked prince and 3 princess. However, after researching about the care of them when I got home, I found the Prince plant NEVER has red berries, and mine that do have red berries are marked princes. Then, I researched further and found out the ONLY way to tell the Prince from the Princess is when they bloom. The princess will have a green "bump" in the middle of the bloom and the male does NOT have this but has 4 pistols. Well.. ALL my plants are blooming here and they ALL have the green bumps in the middle of the bloom. They have the 4 petals and in the middle is a green bump or center.

Does this mean I have ALL princess plants and due to this, as a Prince is needed to pollinate, I will NEVER get red berries then?

Is this true.. and if so... Please let me know how I go about getting a TRUE Prince of a shrub so I get the red berries. What I've read has said that the Princes 'never' have red berries on them, and only the princess shrubs do. These are about a foot high.

ANY HELP.. WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.. Thank You so much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by darrenmerc

Hello:

I found the Prince plant NEVER has red berries, and mine that do have red berries are marked princes.

I'm confused, you seem to want the red berries and (unless I'm reading this wrong) you have red berries, right?
Either way Lowe's will take the plants back within a year for any reason. I have only one Holly bush in my yard and it always has the red berries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Dahlia

I'm confused, you seem to want the red berries and (unless I'm reading this wrong) you have red berries, right?
Either way Lowes will take the plants back within a year for any reason. I have only one Holly bush in my yard and it always has the red berries.

Hi Just Dahlia: I may have RED BERRIES NOW.. but I do NOT have a male plant (prince) right now so in the future there will be NO plant to pollenate the female plants so I am guessing I won't get the RED BERRIES on them.

You must have SOME PLANT in your area that is pollenating your female plant. With the Blue Prince and Princess plants, I understand that the RED BERRIES will NEVER come unless you have a male plant (blooms have 4 yellow/green pistols) instead of the ovary "green bump" in the center. I have NO plants with the pistols. ( I doubt I spelled that right). :(

But... I want to have red berries year after year. I am not sure if you have the Blue Prince Holly bushes but if you have ONLY one plant and ARE getting red berries, there MUST be a male somewhere near that plant that is pollenating it.

Anyway.. I want a male plant and I am pretty sure I have all female or (princess) plants, and when these red berries fall off this year.. I will not get red berries in the future without a male plant.

I hope this makes sense to you..

And.. yes of course, I can take them back with a receipt/tag on the plant, but I've already planted them and don't look forward to digging up plants to return them. :(

Thanks for your reply..

Darren

Sorry I was of no help to you, I must have a different kind of Holly bush. It has been there for 15 years with only ferns, Palms and azaleas. The neighbors have a rock garden with cacti. Maybe I have really good long distance bees.:D

Well.. thank YOU for taking the time to respond and attempt to help me. I wish you continued success with your bushes. :) :) :)

I worked at a family owned garden center for about 17 years, and this was a common problem when customers came in after shopping at the big box stores. You do need both male & female hollies to get berries, and only the females will get berries. I would go to a garden center/nursury and find a Blue Prince (Ilex x 'Blue Prince') now, while they are in flower so you can be sure of what you are getting. One Blue Prince will be plenty to pollinate 6 Blue Princess hollies, just make sure they are planted fairly close together, at the most about 75', but within 25' is best. The bees will take care of the rest, and you should get a full crop of berries for next winter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleenless9

I worked at a family owned garden center for about 17 years, and this was a common problem when customers came in after shopping at the big box stores. You do need both male & female hollies to get berries, and only the females will get berries. I would go to a garden center/nursury and find a Blue Prince (Ilex x 'Blue Prince') now, while they are in flower so you can be sure of what you are getting. One Blue Prince will be plenty to pollinate 6 Blue Princess hollies, just make sure they are planted fairly close together, at the most about 75', but within 25' is best. The bees will take care of the rest, and you should get a full crop of berries for next winter.

THANK YOU so much... I am having a very hard time "FINDING" any Blue Prince Holly bushes here in MN. Any ideas?

Thank YOU for answering my question. Also, I thought of "now" being the BEST time so that another company can't do the same thing and say... Oh, yes, this is a male bush and it really isn't.. :(

Thanks again

Darren

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Try to find an independent garden center, and they should have someone there that could help you with identifying a Blue Prince Holly. For 6 hollies, Lowe's should have told you that 1 male/5 female would be best so you would get the most berries. Nothing against Lowe's, they are a great home improvement store, but I don't think they hire knowledgeable people for the garden center there, and an independent garden center will usually have at least a couple people that really know what they are doing or will look up the answer for you. I'm not sure what type of holly is in the pictures, but they do show the difference between the male and female hollies. Good luck.

THANK YOU again.. for your help and great information. I did see this photo from a Google search and from this I deduced I have 6 female plants. I have all the green "ovary's" or "bumps" on every single plant. I agree with you on Lowe's etc... great places for home improvement but maybe not so great with plants/bushes.

Thank YOU for your information.

Darren

Ok.. Hopefully last question for ANYONE: Is it a MUST that I get a "blue prince" Holly plant or can I use any male plant of a different variety, although it would be a Holly: Like Jim Dandy.. or something? Does anyone know?

Darren

Yeah the Ilex x meserveae is the 'holly' family, with most being female. The blue prince is one of few males in the hollies family. All males in this family cross with the females in the holly family. So yes. I have a blue prince with multiple different females some are good for tea. It all in your taste.