Nellie Stevens is a hybrid between English and Chinese holly, so if you get a male Chinese holly you will be assured of heavy fruiting. Dirr lists two male cultivars, Gable #76, which is short and pyramidal, and Tall Stallion.

I've heard that Chinese hollies don't need males too, but then why are there so many Nellie Stevens around that don't fruit much? Too young, pruned at the wrong time? I've always wondered. There is a gorgeous Nellie Stevens at the front of Pender Nursery in Garner that fruits heavily, but there's hollies all over the place there, as it is a big wholesale nursery. One of the guys told me that the one there was 15 years old at the time and it takes a while for Nellies to look like that one.

Nellie is one of the hollies that are parthenocarpic, meaning that they can set fruit without the male sperm. In my experience, a healthy Nellie will produce fairly bountiful berries without a compatible male pollinator nearby. It WILL produce a very heavy crop of fertilized berries if there is one in proximity.

Nellie Stevens end up getting quite large. I've never seen a holly fruit more than once a year.

One thing people do to limit the berry production is trim the tree after flowering.

Another pretty heavy producer of berries by a sole Nellie Stevens here.

my Nellie stevens had lots of red berries two years ago when I planted it. none since. plant is healthy with much new growth and plenty of white flowers in spring. some web sites say it will need a male Chinese holly nearby to produce the red berries. a local nursery has told me that "china boy" holly is not the best choice. what cultivar will help my Nellie get red?