Winterberries in Winter

“What are those red berries?” I’m often asked in December.  If you want a garden with 4-season interest, a great way to give a colorful boost in autumn and early winter is to plant lots of winterberry (Ilex verticillata). This native, deciduous holly is rarely an attention grabber in spring and early summer, because its flowers are small and inconspicuous, but as the summer progresses and the berries develop, it becomes more and more dominant in the landscape.  By the time the leaves fall, the remaining bright red berries become an obvious part of the winter garden.

The berry-covered branches are a favorite for holiday decorating and greens arrangements.  But, if you plan to cut winterberry branches for decorating, don’t wait too long, or you may lose out to the robins, for which winterberries are a favorite food.  Like all hollies, the berries are somewhat toxic to birds (as well as humans and pets) at first, but the berries are believed to become less toxic and apparently more palatable to the birds after a series of freezing and thawing.

If you feel like you are missing out on a great winter plant, you are and should plan on planting some this coming spring. Winterberries perform well under a wide range of conditions.  In their native habitat, they prefer wet soils (wetland indicator FACW+), but can tolerate periods of relatively dry conditions.  They do well under a variety of sun and shade, but more sun will produce more berries.  If your space is limited, consider one of the newer compact cultivars.  And remember, winterberries (like other hollies) are dioecious, which means a male plant is needed in the neighborhood for the female plants to produce berries.