An exciting smaller Holly, Castle Keep, Ilex x meservae, offers beautiful evergreen foliage and showy winter berries on a small shrub. Growing only 3-5′ tall Castle Keep is much smaller than most shrub Hollies. If you’re sick of Boxwoods, but need a good foundation or small hedge plant Castle Keep may be the plant for you! Castle Keep is a female Meserve Holly and will require a male to pollinate for berry production.

Plant Meserve Holly in full sun to part shade locations will be happiest if given some afternoon shade. Add compost or other organic matter to the soil when planting. Use a starter fertilizer like Espoma Bio-tone Starter to get your plants off to a quick start. Keep well watered throughout the first few years of establishment, even in winter. Acid-loving plant add a soil acidifier or use specific fertilizer like Holly-tone.