Illustration
China Girl Holly
Ilex 'Mesog'
China Girl Holly blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing China Girl Holly
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–8. Expect it to reach about 9 ft tall and 9 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 5 years (a house reading).
Is China Girl Holly toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by Pet Poison Helpline.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant China Girl Holly
Plant China Girl Holly in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does China Girl Holly get?
9 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult9 ftwideSee China Girl Holly in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant China Girl Holly
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Give China Girl Holly about 9 ft of clear ground in every direction, measured from its center. It is one plant with room around it, not a row, and a raised bed is too small for it.
Add China Girl Holly to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
China Girl Holly's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on October 17, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder, Ilex 'Mesog' CHINA GIRLheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Plant Addictsqueue store pageheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- plantdatabase.uconn.eduUniversity of Connecticut Plant Database, own 'Mesog' cultivar paragraphheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- Chicago Botanic Gardenown Ilex 'Mesog' accession entryhardiness zones and bloom months and color
- pridescorner.comPrides Corner Farms, China Girl holly grower pageheight, spread and hardiness zones
- The Morton ArboretumChina Girl cultivar paragraphheight, spread and sun
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolbox, Ilex x meserveae page with a China Girl cultivar linesun and trait tags
- woodyplants.nres.uiuc.eduUniversity of Illinois woody plants database, China Girl 'Mesog'height and hardiness zones
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.