Shrub · Aquifoliaceae Draft — unreviewed
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata (L.) A.Gray
Also called winterberry.
Deciduous native holly whose bare stems are covered in red fruit through early winter. Excellent for wet soils and bird gardens.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 1.8–3 m (6–10 ft) tall and 1.8–3 m (6–10 ft) wide; slow growth, about 10 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.12) from the #3 install size.
Design notes
- Only female plants fruit; include one compatible male (early- or late-blooming to match) per 5–10 females within about 15 m.
- Chlorotic in alkaline soil.
Regions
Native range: Eastern North America.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Inkberry
Ilex glabra · Shrub · 1.5–2.4 m (5–8 ft)
Yaupon holly
Ilex vomitoria · Shrub · 4–6 m (13–20 ft)
Nellie R. Stevens holly
Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens' · Shrub · 4.5–7.5 m (15–25 ft)
Japanese holly
Ilex crenata · Shrub · 1.5–3 m (5–10 ft)
American holly
Ilex opaca · Tree · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Black chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa · Shrub · 0.9–1.8 m (3–6 ft)
Plan with Winterberry
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.