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- Fruit
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- Flowers (female)
Scientific Name:
Ilex verticillata
Common Name:
Winterberry
Scientific Name Pronounciation:
EYE-lecks VER-tis-il-lot-uh
Plant Type:
Shrub
Plant Hardiness Zones:
3-9
Plant Hardiness Zone(s):
Usual Size:
6-10 ft. H X 5-6 ft. W
Flower:
Plants are dioecious, having separate male and female flowers. Creamy white small flowers with green centers.
Bloom Time Notes:
Spring
Leaf:
1 1/2 to 4 inches long, with dark green summer color turning yellow in fall
Fruit:
Reddish-orange berry
Wildlife:
Birds love the berries, host plant for Henry's Elfin butterfly.
Natural Habitat:
Lowlands and wet areas.
Propagation:
Seed, cuttings, or division.
Bloom Time:
Sun or Shade:
Companion Plants:
Cultural Notes:
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) tolerates poor drainage and wet areas and is very showy in fruit. You must have both a male and female plant to have berries. The male must be the same species as the female and bloom at the same time. The plant may sucker a bit in ideal conditions or when damaged.
Cultivars are available but must be carefully selected:
'Jim Dandy' is a male plant and is generally grown only as a pollinator for the female winterberry cultivar 'Red Sprite' while 'Southern Gentleman' is recommended as a male for the female 'Winter Red.'