ILEX VERTICILLATA “WINTERBERRY” HOLLY
I have been writing these blogs for quite a few years now. I can’t believe I have never written on this native deciduous holly until now. Winterberry is native to the Eastern Seaboard. What a beautiful, low-maintenance shrub to have growing in your landscape.
Winterberry holly is a slow-growing, woody, deciduous shrub that grows tall. Some varieties can grow over 10 feet tall, and certain varieties will grow 3 to 10 feet wide. So, consider these dimensions if you consider adding a few to your landscape. Other points of interest are that Winterberry likes moist, acidic soil with good drainage and can be planted in partial shade to full sun. It tolerates our heat, dry conditions, and soil compaction.
One of the biggest, if not the most important, factors to remember is that you have male and female winterberry hollies. You need pollination. Both male and female varieties will flower in late spring with small greenish-white flowers. BUT—only the female varieties will produce the berries. You want to plant one male winterberry for up to ten females and be within 40 feet of each other. I love seeing them clustered together in a prominent landscape area.
Come see us and our selection of Winterberries—both female and male varieties. Now is a fantastic time to plant and add Winterberries to your landscape. The recent rainfall and warm soil temperature have made October a perfect planting month. Winterberries can be used for hedging, in rain gardens, or to control erosion.
People will ask me about pruning Winterberry. I recommend against it. Winterberry blooms on old wood and pruning could cut off the flower buds. So, let it grow naturally without alterations by pruning.
FALL IS FOR PLANTING A LITTLE HAPPINESS!!!!!!!