Castle Keep Blue Holly (Ilex x meserveae 'Castle Keep')
EYE-leks ex mez-ERV-ee-ay 'Castle Keep'

Evergreen Perennial Shrub

With glossy, leathery, evergreen foliage, Castle Keep® blue holly makes a handsome choice for landscaping. This is a smaller-than-average blue holly, growing just 3-5' tall and wide, and with soft-to-the-touch deep green foliage. This is a female variety which will develop bright red berries if male Castle Wall® holly is planted nearby.

Ilex x meserveae 'Castle Keep' is a hybrid holly, primarily developed from species native to East Asia (Ilex crenata) and North America (Ilex aquifolium). As a hybrid, it does not have a specific native range but is commonly cultivated in various regions, particularly in North America and Europe.

 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 5 feet tall. 3 - 4 feet wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium -
Zones 5a - 7b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Container, Deer Resistant, Evergreen, Fall interest, Formal Garden, Foundation, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Hedges, Good for Mass Planting, Low Maintenance, Medium, Modern Garden, Normal Soil, Partial Sun, Perennial, Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Shrub, Thrillers, Tolerant of Acidic Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Winter Interest
Bloom Period Spring - Winter
Flower Color White
Foliage Color
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Pricing and Availability History

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!