China Girl

Question

I bought a China girl holly bush in April. It was loaded with green berries. After about two weeks, all the berries disappeared. Why? Does this mean this bush will not have red berries in the fall? I have purchased now 4 weeks after the female a male China boy. Is it to late for the male to pollinate the female?

Answer 1

The female likely dropped the berries due to a lack of pollination. No pollination means no seeds and the plant will abort the berries. It may also have dropped the berries due to transplant shock - if it had been pollinated before you bought it. The male is too late for this year, but come next year, the female will produce new flowers/berries and has a male to pollinate it so you will get red berries in the future.