Going Out on a Limb for a Berry Nice Plant!
Ilex verticillata (Yes, I have been caught stalking plants to talk about for the KTRS Inside Out Show! Punishment awarded for that crime is a minimum of 100 community service hours maintaining my role as special agent in charge of finding great plants that thrive in the KTRS station’s listening range (all while trying to be informative and polite to hosts, John Shea and Jim McMillian-( this is not hardly hard time-but don’t tell that to my parole officer!)
The word “holly” usually causes the average homeowner to think about holiday greens with berries or the bushes and trees sometimes used in foundation plantings, but as you will see this is not always so…
The winterberry is a well mannered holly that loses its leaves in the fall. Because it is naturally found thriving in poor drainage situations where moisture fluctuates considerably, it is perfect for solving soil erosion issues. She performs well in challenging sites where easy attractive plant options are as important as soil stabilization, water conservation and sustainable landscaping!
As beautiful as she is polite, she slowly develops a substantial well-rounded form with maturity that helps her become an outstanding upright member of her landscape community.
Not overly eager to start a family, she will eventually settle down and embrace her maternal instincts if conditions are right. She does this by developing strong offshoots that carry her same great looks. She will continue this process eventually surrounding herself with a nursery full of baby hollies!
Although she pales to a soft butter color with first chilly breeze, it is the perfect compliment to the jelly red color of her berries. If Autumn’s in the perfect mood, she might spreads a thin layer of color that hints of raspberry red and merlot wine across the winterberry’s leaves.
Not so notable are the shy greenish-cream flowers that hide in the leaf axils in late spring. These girl flowers share the responsible job of berry production with their "oh so necessary" male companion, the boy flowering winterberry holly. Only if properly pollinated, will there be a crop of cherry red berries! Check with local nurseries to find the best match for your little holly girl! )
There are so many great cultivars now available of this American Beauty, including precious little ‘Nana’ RED SPRITE or show stopper ‘Winter Red.’ Both, of these easy going girls are like all the rest of the berry producing hollies that are “seeking” attractive male hollies to assist with berry production. Heights and growth habit as well as berry color differes with different cultivar/ selections so chose carefully for just the right “fit” for your location.
Care Factor Rating: 2 Winterberry must be watered regularly till established. She does not require pruning when given adequate space! Flowers and berries develop on the new growth so gently prune to shape in the early spring before new growth appears. Never remove more than 1/3 of the total growth. Otherwise remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch any time of the year.
Ilex verticillata (Yes, I have been caught stalking plants to talk about for the KTRS Inside Out Show! Punishment awarded for that crime is a minimum of 100 community service hours maintaining my role as special agent in charge of finding great plants that thrive in the KTRS station’s listening range (all while trying to be informative and polite to hosts, John Shea and Jim McMillian-( this is not hardly hard time-but don’t tell that to my parole officer!)
The word “holly” usually causes the average homeowner to think about holiday greens with berries or the bushes and trees sometimes used in foundation plantings, but as you will see this is not always so…
The winterberry is a well mannered holly that loses its leaves in the fall. Because it is naturally found thriving in poor drainage situations where moisture fluctuates considerably, it is perfect for solving soil erosion issues. She performs well in challenging sites where easy attractive plant options are as important as soil stabilization, water conservation and sustainable landscaping!
As beautiful as she is polite, she slowly develops a substantial well-rounded form with maturity that helps her become an outstanding upright member of her landscape community.
Not overly eager to start a family, she will eventually settle down and embrace her maternal instincts if conditions are right. She does this by developing strong offshoots that carry her same great looks. She will continue this process eventually surrounding herself with a nursery full of baby hollies!
Although she pales to a soft butter color with first chilly breeze, it is the perfect compliment to the jelly red color of her berries. If Autumn’s in the perfect mood, she might spreads a thin layer of color that hints of raspberry red and merlot wine across the winterberry’s leaves.
Not so notable are the shy greenish-cream flowers that hide in the leaf axils in late spring. These girl flowers share the responsible job of berry production with their "oh so necessary" male companion, the boy flowering winterberry holly. Only if properly pollinated, will there be a crop of cherry red berries! Check with local nurseries to find the best match for your little holly girl! )
There are so many great cultivars now available of this American Beauty, including precious little ‘Nana’ RED SPRITE or show stopper ‘Winter Red.’ Both, of these easy going girls are like all the rest of the berry producing hollies that are “seeking” attractive male hollies to assist with berry production. Heights and growth habit as well as berry color differes with different cultivar/ selections so chose carefully for just the right “fit” for your location.
Care Factor Rating: 2 Winterberry must be watered regularly till established. She does not require pruning when given adequate space! Flowers and berries develop on the new growth so gently prune to shape in the early spring before new growth appears. Never remove more than 1/3 of the total growth. Otherwise remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch any time of the year.
This is a cane shrub that spreads by increasing from the crown / base by producing new shoots from the base annually. This makes her a perfect choice for hedge use or screening. If her individual personality is to remain defined, consider limiting the basal area / spread of this shrub in early spring before the leaves develop.
Remove the excess shoots with a pruning saw. Cutting around the base with a sharp shovel may also be necessary. Remove any excess root and woody material and replace-refill any hole area created with fresh soil to protect roots. This activity will slow the gradual expansion of the primary clump. Maintaining base area spread for each individual shrub to a minimum of 2-3 feet wide. This will permit the shrub to appear balanced by keeping the height and width somewhat equal.
Do not start this process until the shrub is well established and has shown normal annual growth. Occasional suckering may occur during the season. Remove these as they occur as they use energy and detract from the naturally attractive growth habit.
She has no enemies, such as any serious insect or disease problems. Although she is best known for her fall and winter looks, don’t forget her use for stabilizing and reducing soil erosion. She is one of my favorite winter food sources for song birds! (Image is 'Red Sprite' from Missouri Botanical Garden's Bird GArden)
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