Winterberry

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a deciduous member of the holly family that grows wild in wetlands, swamps and pond margins across the eastern and central United States and adjacent Canada. Where evergreen hollies keep their glossy leaves, winterberry sheds them in autumn to reveal a tangle of stems studded with vivid red berries.

It is dioecious, meaning plants are either male or female. Only female plants produce the showy fruit, and they need a compatible male nearby to set berries. A single male can pollinate several females.

Long cultivated for winter interest, it has become a staple of cold-climate landscapes and a favorite for holiday cut stems.

A multi-stemmed shrub typically 3-12 ft tall and wide, with a rounded, suckering habit.

• Leaves: alternate, oval to elliptic, 1.5-3 in long, finely toothed, dull green; turn yellow-bronze and drop in fall
• Flowers: small, greenish-white, in leaf axils in late spring; easy to overlook
• Fruit: clusters of bright red (occasionally orange or yellow) berry-like drupes about 1/4 in across, hugging the stems
• Bark/stems: smooth gray, the berries most obvious once leaves fall
• Habit: dense, twiggy, often forming thickets

Tough and low-maintenance once established.

• Light: Full sun gives the heaviest fruit set; tolerates part shade
• Water: Loves moisture; thrives in wet, even boggy soil and tolerates seasonal flooding. Water regularly in dry spells
• Soil: Prefers acidic, moist, organically rich soil; tolerates clay
• Temperature: Very cold hardy (USDA zones 3-9)
• Feeding: Rarely needed; a spring layer of compost is plenty
• Pollination: Plant at least one male (e.g. 'Jim Dandy', 'Southern Gentleman') near female cultivars for berries
• Propagation: Softwood cuttings in summer, or seed (slow, requires stratification)

Native to eastern and central North America, from Newfoundland and Minnesota south to Florida and Texas. In the wild it colonizes swamps, bogs, wet thickets, low woods and the edges of ponds and streams, where its tolerance of poorly drained soil gives it an advantage.

It is widely planted in gardens throughout temperate North America and parts of Europe, especially in rain gardens, pond plantings and naturalized borders where its moisture tolerance shines.