Ilex verticillataWinterberry Holly

Ilex verticillata, the Winterberry Holly, is the deciduous holly of eastern North American swamps, and it saves everything for winter. The leaves drop in autumn and leave bare stems packed with dense bright red berries that hold for months and are stripped only when the birds run short of everything else.

It is planted in wet borders, rain gardens and detention basins, and in cold climate schemes where winter colour has to come from fruit rather than flower.

Specifications

• Height2 to 4 metres
• Width2 to 3 metres
• Native toEastern North America, from Canada to the southeastern United States
• FoliageElliptic, serrated dark green leaves turning yellow before falling; deciduous
• Growth rateSlow to moderate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, acidic soils and tolerates wet ground and poor drainage
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate to high; does not tolerate prolonged drought
• ClimateThrives in cool to warm temperate regions and is fully frost-hardy

Additional Features

• FlowersSmall greenish-white flowers in early summer; male and female plants are both required for fruit
• FruitDense bright red berries carried on bare stems through winter
• UsesIdeal for wet borders, rain gardens, detention basins and winter feature planting
• SpacingPlant 1.5 to 2 metres apart, including at least one male plant per group
• Low MaintenancePrune in late winter after the berries have gone; suckers can be removed to control spread
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust in suitably moist ground
• Wildlife AttractionBerries are an important late winter food source for birds
• Frost ToleranceFully hardy, and the display is at its best in cold winters

Winterberry Holly is the answer where a cold, wet site has to deliver colour in the months when nothing is in leaf.