Blue Angel

The 'Blue Hollies' were raised by Mrs Kathleen Meserve from New York. It was here desire to raise some ornamental hollies for the Eastern side of the United States where the normal 'Ilex aquifolium' is not quite hardy enough. Today's image is one of, perhaps arguably the best of, her attempts at producing such a beast. In the end the meserveae varieties which are a cross between Ilex aquifolium & Ilex rugosa are still best given a typically continental climate, but here in the UK as times and climate change they are beginning to thrive and my own plants of 'Blue Angel' in particular are quite stunning. Perhaps what is most attractive is the iridescent metallic sheen of the leaves and the bright redness of the berries when contrasted against them. It makes a small dense shrub of around two metres when mature.