Male Holly Pollinators

Q: I need a source for a male holly companion for my 10-year-old Emily Bruner hollies. They bloom their hearts out and the bees love them, but there are never any berries. James Swan is listed as the male pollinator. I’ve looked all over for a James Swan, to no avail. What other hollies might work?

A: Since Emily Bruner is a hybrid cross between Ilex latifolia and I. cornuta, if you can find a male of either species that blooms at the same time, you should get results. I. cornuta male hollies are rare, but I. latifolia ‘Blue Prince’ or ‘China Boy’ might work. A great source to answer your question is the Holly Society of America (hollysociety.org). Reems Creek Nursery has a nice guide to holly pollination at bit.ly/hollypoll.

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