Is Blue Holly deer resistant?
Ilex x meserveae
Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Blue Holly
The Meserve hybrids, bred for cold hardiness with blue-green foliage and purple stems. Sold as named male and female pairs, and you need both for berries. Rated Occasionally Damaged, unlike the spinier American and Chinese hollies, which fare better where deer are heavy.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 47 to 71 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Deer-resistant alternatives to Blue Holly
Same plant type, hardy in the same zones, but rated better on the Rutgers scale. If Blue Holly keeps getting eaten, these go in the same spot.
- Arrowwood ViburnumViburnum dentatumZones 2–8Rarely damaged
- BarberryBerberis sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- BoxwoodBuxus sempervirensZones 5–8Rarely damaged
- DaphneDaphne sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Devil's Walking StickAralia spinosaZones 4–9Rarely damaged
- Fragrant SumacRhus aromaticaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Similar to Blue Holly
Other shrubs with the same deer rating.
- Bigleaf HydrangeaHydrangea macrophyllaZones 6–11Occasionally damaged
- Bloodtwig DogwoodCornus sanguineaZones 5–7Occasionally damaged
- Carolina RhododendronRhododendron carolinianumZones 5–8Occasionally damaged
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbienseZones 4–8Occasionally damaged
- Chinese LilacSyringa x chinensisZones 3–7Occasionally damaged
- Deciduous AzaleaRhododendron sp.Zones 5–8, genus rangeOccasionally damaged
Protecting Blue Holly
Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.
- How tall a deer fence needs to beEight feet, and six is the most common expensive mistake in deer fencing.
- Repellent that actually worksThe egg-based recipe that reproduces the active ingredient in the commercial sprays that win university trials.
- Check it is actually deerDeer tear and leave a ragged stub. A clean 45-degree cut is rabbits, and slug holes get blamed on deer constantly.
Where Blue Holly grows
Hardy across most of these 47 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Browse from here
Every list Blue Holly belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Blue Holly
- Is Blue Holly deer resistant?
- Blue Holly (Ilex x meserveae) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
- What hardiness zones does Blue Holly grow in?
- Blue Holly is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 7. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Blue Holly grow in shade?
- Yes. Blue Holly tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- Is Blue Holly toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Blue Holly as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.