Honey Maid Holly

With its variegated foliage and winter berries, Honey Maid Holly is a superb shrub for adding winter interest to the garden. Producing spiky, green leaves with yellow margins, the foliage of this holly really stands out. Honey Maid Holly is a female variety and if grown near a male, can display glossy bright red berries in winter and add even more impact. Botanically named Ilex x meserveae 'Honey Maid', this holly is a great all-rounder and perfect for the borders. With dense and bushy growth, Honey Maid naturally develops a pleasing pyramidal shape, which will draw the eye. Come spring, it is adored by pollinators, which will enjoy its tiny white flowers that open around April. Being evergreen, this Honey Maid Holly can be used to form a year-round hedge or planted in a container to provide a focal point. A tough and hardy shrub that is suitable for zones 5 to 8. Honey Maid Holly Care Honey Maid Holly can cope with most soil types but is happiest when grown in a slightly acidic, moist, free-draining soil. This holly thrives in a sheltered spot in full sun but can tolerate some light shade as well. To get this shrub off to the best start, regular watering is required until it is established. After which, it should only need extra moisture during any hot and dry spells. If grown in a fertile soil, extra fertilizer is not strictly necessary; however to boost new growth, a balanced fertilizer can be applied in early spring. Once established, the Honey Maid Holly requires little care. To encourage bushy growth and keep it to size, it can be pruned right after flowering. Being relatively compact, Honey Maid Holly is suitable for growing in a container; keep in mind more frequent watering will be necessary during the growing season. Honey Maid Holly Spacing Over time, this variegated holly can reach a size of 12-15 feet high by 6-8 feet wide. If growing this shrub to form a mixed hedge, a plant spacing of 4-5 feet is advisable.