Source: Proven Winners via Amazon (MI/OH)
Size shipped: 1 quart pot
Planted: In ground, September 2019
First flowering: Spring 2020 (quart size and all!)
I have no idea what they did to this holly before they packed it, but there was so much dirt in the bag and only about half of it actually fit in the pot. Was it originally all in the pot but packed much tighter, and did everything just come way loose with the impacts of shipping? Anyway, with the dirt as loose as it was, I was effectively able to bare root the thing, just because I had to. Hopefully that means it will get settled faster (also because it's so small).
My only worry is that I did not elevate this one as much as the lilac, which is in the same part of the yard where the rocks are not far from the surface, and drainage might suffer as a result (the initial watering validated this worry further). Hopefully the layer of cedar mulch will slow any incoming rain just enough to prevent problems.
I'm not really hoping for greatness from this holly -- just to fill the space between two windows and to pollinate the Castle Spire and Dragon Lady. However, being that it's so small, it may not be old enough yet to do the latter in its first year with us, and it'll certainly be something like 10 years before it can do the former satisfactorily.
Mid-December 2019 saw most of this holly's leaves turn purple, which I certainly wasn't expecting, but apparently it's not unheard of with the blue holly hybrids. In any case, it looked no worse for wear when the spring came.