Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ 15 Gal

Get ready to fall in love with this legendary beauty! Not only is Nellie R. Stevens gorgeous, she is tough and resilient. Vigorous, with a broad pyramidal tree-like form, dense branching, and lustrous dark green, leathery evergreen foliage. Orange-red berries. For increased berry set, her ideal mate is Edward J. Stevens. However, a male Ilex cornuta will also work. Excellent hedge, screen, or specimen.

The story is that around 1900, a woman named Nellie R. Stevens collected 3 seeds from an Ilex cornuta (Chinese holly) from the US National Arboretum. It is reported that this Ilex cornuta was pollinated by an Ilex aquifolium (English Holly). Of the 3 seeds, only one was female, and grew into a plant that was named Nellie R. Stevens. Of the two male seeds, one grew into a plant that was named Edward J. Stevens and the other grew into a plant that was named Maplehurst.

In the 1950s, these plants - and Nellie in particular - were recognized as being outstanding, healthy, long-lived trees. The horticultural world caught the fever and began propagating them so others could enjoy these wonderful plants! While Nellie is wildly popular and can be readily found in the horticultural world in this part of the country, Edward is rare and Maplehurst even rarer.

Holly genetics are WILD. In some special cases, female hollies can produce berries without a male, and Nellie R. Stevens is one of those special cases. However these berries will not be fertile. Adding her ideal mate of Edward, or just a male Ilex cornuta (male Chinese holly) will increase the berries produce, and also cause them to be able to set seed.

Zones 6-9.

20’T x 12’W.