shrub
Nellie Stevens holly 'Nellie R. Stevens'
Ilex × 'Nellie R. Stevens'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 6–9, Nellie Stevens holly 'Nellie R. Stevens' is a fast-growing evergreen shrub. Expect 15–25 ft of height and 8–12 ft of spread; our lists space it 9 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Ilex × 'Nellie R. Stevens'
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 6 to 9
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Adapts to clay and sandy soil.
- Mature size
- 15–25 ft tall × 8–12 ft wide
- Spacing
- 9 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Grown for foliage
- Roles in a bed
- Anchor, Structure
- Styles
- classic, modern
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. Holly is on the ASPCA toxic list (berries and leaves).
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 7-gallon pot, typically $50–$90 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Shape in late winter; can be sheared as a tall screen.
Sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Nellie Stevens holly 'Nellie R. Stevens', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Korean boxwood 'Wintergreen'Buxus sinica var. insularis 'Wintergreen'shrub · zones 4–9
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'perennial · zones 7–10
- Coral bells 'Palace Purple'Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia 'Palace Purple'perennial · zones 4–9
- Lenten roseHelleborus × hybridusperennial · zones 4–9
- African irisDietes iridioidesperennial · zones 8–11
- Autumn fernDryopteris erythrosorafern · zones 5–9
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Nellie Stevens holly 'Nellie R. Stevens': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants