Why No Berries On My Nellie Stevens Holly Tree?

Q: I have twenty well-established Nellie Stevens holly trees. We expected to
get an abundance of red berries during the winters however, we get very little
in each tree. I planted a male Edward Stevens to help but it didn’t do anything.

A: Nellie Stevens holly is partially parthenocarpic. This means it can produce
berries without a male holly present but you’ll get more berries if a male is
blooming at the same time.

One reputable online source says that Chinese
holly, Ilex cornuta, can pollinate Nellie Stevens holly. Chinese holly is the
shrub that has so many spines on each leaf it’s scary to look at. But like all
hollies, Chinese holly has both male and female types.

Try to find a ‘ChinaBoy’ holly to add to your landscape. As the years go on and this plus your
male ‘Edward Stevens’ get bigger, you should get more berries on your Nellie
Stevens holly.