Ilex x meserveae Gentle - Blue Holly

Ilex x merseveae Gentle (Annys Dwarf) is a compact cultivar of the Meserve holly, well suited for small spaces and container gardening. This small shrub has a naturally rounded habit and decorative evergreen glossy dark green foliage that turns purple with metallic reflections in the cold of winter.  In this male variety, the spring flowering is particularly abundant, adding to its charm. Meserve holly is well suited for pruning, allowing gardeners to shape it into a regular ball or a majestic cone, but it also thrives when left to grow freely in a shrub bed.

Meserve holly, scientifically known as Ilex x meserveae, is a horticultural hybrid obtained in the United States in 1964. It is a cross between the common holly (Ilex aquifolium) found in our forests and the Japanese holly (Ilex rugosa) with its almost prostrate habit and rough-textured leaves. This plant is perfectly hardy, but generally dislikes the presence of limestone in the soil. All these shrubs belong to the Aquifoliaceae family.

The 'Gentle' variety, also known as Annys Dwarf, is a recent male horticultural variety that does not produce fruits. This slow-growing shrub has a naturally rounded, dense, and regular form.  At maturity, it reaches about 70 cm (27.6 in) in height with a spread of 50 cm (19.7 in). It is also characterised by its relatively small leaves and abundant flowers. The leaves are leathery, ovate, finely toothed, and beautifully glossy.  They are light green when they emerge and then turn very dark green and finally become tinted with purple. All hollies are dioecious plants, meaning there are separate male and female plants. Only the female plants bear fruit, which are highly valued for their ornamental value. 'Gentle' Holly produces numerous small nectar-rich flowers in May, with white-pinkish colour, emerging from almost red buds. They have 4 prominent stamens with yellow anthers. 

The 'Gentle' Holly is a centrepiece of the garden or terrace during winter, even in small spaces. It can be a great substitute for boxwood in low hedges, provided the soil is not limestone-rich. It can be planted in large borders or mixed with similarly sized shrubs to create the permanent structure of the garden: Mexican Orange Blossom, Nandina domestica, Tarentum Myrtle, Compact Pieris, and Sarcococca, for example, can accompany it in an attractive bed all year round. Extremely hardy, even beyond -15 °C, it prefers partially shaded to sunny locations, such as woodland edges or an east-facing position. When planted alone, it becomes a focal point during the winter and can be admired from a window, in the warm.  

Hollies are both loved and misunderstood plants. The genus comprises nearly 800 deciduous or evergreen species, mostly native to the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. These ancient plants have experienced alternating glacial periods and dry, hot periods in our climatic history, making them extremely adaptable and resilient. Their wood, which is white to cream, has a very low water content, even when green. It is dense and heavy, but soft and easy to work with in carpentry. It is also an excellent fuel for heating, even when green. Finally, their foliage and berries (inedible) are rich in caffeine. Tea is prepared with their leaves in the Black Forest.