Winteberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)
You’ve probably seen winterberry holly, even if you didn’t know it: its bright red clusters of berries on bare branches in the wintertime are hard to miss. Unlike other hollies, winterberry holly loses its leaves by winter. This makes the bright red berries stand out even more. The berries persist throughout the winter and are important to birds when food is scarce. A bright red cardinal perched among the winterberry holly boughs is one of the quintessential New England winter sights.
Winterberry holly’s benefits aren’t limited to its berries: its small white flowers are valuable for pollinators early in spring. What’s more, it’s also a host plant for 34 species of moths and butterflies.
Winterberry holly is a shrub that grows 3-15 feet tall and spreads to form colonies. It’s easy to grow in the garden, but needs moist, acidic well-drained soil. Dry soil should be avoided unless you’re willing to water your hollies frequently.
Winterberry holly has both male and female plants. If you want your holly to form berries, you need to plant at least one male plant alongside your female plants. Since there are different varieties and cultivars of winterberry holly that flower at different times, make sure you get a male of the same variety.