This deciduous holly is native to eastern North America from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, south to Alabama where it grows in wetlands such as bogs, swamps, and along streams and ponds, as well as in drier sites. Known also as black alder, Canada holly, coralberry, feverbush, and Michigan holly, it is a member of the Aquifoliaceae, a plant family of one genus with over 570 species. The plant grows 3-16′ tall and has a oval to rounded form and a medium texture. The dark green leaves are toothed, oblong to ovate, and 2-4″ long. They sometimes turn maroon in the fall. Small, inconspicuous, greenish-white male and female flowers appear in the leaf axils of different plants in late spring. If pollinated, the female flowers produce a red berry-like fruit 1/4″ in diameter, bearing a terminal black dot. The berries ripen from late summer into fall and persist into winter but are loved by birds and small mammals so may disappear earlier than expected. Winterberry is an excellent choice for use as a specimen or hedge, as well as in native plant, wildlife, bird, water, bog and rain gardens. The genus name, Ilex, is the Latin name for holm oak (Quercus ilex) and refers to the similarity of holly leaves to those of holm-oak. The specific epithet, verticillata, comes from the Latin word vortex, meaning whirlpool, and refers to the whorled arrangement of the fruits around the stem.
Type: Deciduous shrub
Outstanding Feature: Berries
Form: Oval to rounded
Growth Rate: Slow
Bloom: Small, inconspicuous, greenish white male and female flowers on different plants in late spring
Size: 3-16′ H x 3-12′ W
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Average, moist to occasionally wet, well-drained, acidic
Hardiness: Zones 3-9
Care: Plant 1 male within 50′ of 10-20 females for good pollination and fruit production; prune in early spring before new growth begins
Pests and Diseases: Generally healthy but susceptible to leaf spot, powdery mildew, holly leafminer, Japanese wax scale, and southern red mites
Propagation: Softwood cuttings in late spring to early summer
Outstanding Selections: Many cultivars are available and the selection below gives an idea of their diversity. All of those in the list are female plants and need a suitable male planted near them in order to produce berries. Each female cultivar has its preferred “suitable male” cultivar so ask the nurseryman for advice.
‘Aurantiaca’ (5′ H x 5′ W, orange fruit)
‘Goldfinch’ (4′ H x 4′ W, golden yellow fruit)
‘Red Sprite’ (4’H x 4′ W, red fruit)
‘Sparkleberry’ (12′ H x 12’W, red fruit)
‘Winter Red’ (9′ H x 8′ W, red fruit)
Photo Credit: Wikipedia