Ilex verticillata Berry Heavy®

This Ilex verticillata Berry Heavy® is a new spin on a native Winterberry Holly. It produces a bountiful crop of red berries that soften toward mid-winter, providing a welcome source of food for birds. A deciduous shrub that sheds its leaves in autumn, just in time to show off all the bright berries. Cut a few stems and use them to decorate indoors or outside for the holidays. Plants thrive in partial shade and damp soil, and they are tolerant of road salt. Use Mr. Poppins® as a male pollinator. A Proven Winners®/Color Choice® variety. 'Spravy'

Like most Hollies, Ilex verticillata has separate male and female plants. While only female plants can produce berries, male plants are necessary to provide pollen for their flowers. Gardeners usually give female plants a prominent spot and tuck the male plants in an out-of-the-way corner.

The genus Ilex includes some 350 species, best known for its spiny, evergreen forms with red berries. It's much harder to find selections of our deciduous, native species, I. verticillata. In the wild, it is often found in wet soil, but it also grows well in average soil and tolerates a fair measure of drought once established.

For more information on Ilex care, click on Growing Guide.