# gallberry (*Ilex glabra*) Gallberry is a lovely shrub that grows in wetlands and is known for its shiny green leaves. It produces small black berries that birds love to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![gallberry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ilex_glabra.png&width=800) Photo: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Po, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilex_glabra.png) ## Appearance The gallberry is an evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green leaves that are typically oval-shaped with a few teeth near the tip. Its small, inconspicuous white flowers develop into abundant, pea-sized black berries that persist through winter, making it visually distinct. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Aquifoliales - **Family:** Aquifoliaceae - **Genus:** Ilex ## Interesting facts - Gallberry is a type of holly, but without any prickly spines! - Its beautiful berries transform from green to shiny, dark black. - Many small native bees and butterflies love its tiny white flowers. - Native Americans once brewed a tea from gallberry leaves! ## Special abilities - **Evergreen Endurance:** Gallberry has tough, waxy leaves that stay green all year, helping it keep making food even in cold winter months. - **Soggy Soil Survivor:** Gallberry can grow in soggy, acidic soils where many other plants struggle, thanks to its specialized root system. - **Winter Berry Bank:** Gallberry's berries stay on the plant through winter, providing a vital food source for birds when other foods are scarce. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 100-200 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring-Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Feasts on its persistent black berries in winter. - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits small white flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eats:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on its leaves and twigs, especially young growth. - **Eats:** [Eastern Bluebird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-bluebird) (*Sialia sialis*) — Relies on its berries as a crucial winter food source. ## Traits - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always look but don't touch the berries, as they can be hard to digest. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify gallberry? Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is gallberry? 100-300 cm ### How wide does gallberry spread? 100-200 cm ### How big are the flowers on gallberry? 0.5-1 cm ### When does gallberry bloom? Spring-Summer ### Is gallberry edible? No ### Is gallberry toxic? None ### What is gallberry's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-aquarium-and-exhibition-center-new-york) — New York, US · Zoo - [Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-aquarium-and-exhibition-center) — New York, US · Aquarium - [Batona Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/batona-trail) — New Jersey, US · Trail - [Bellingrath Gardens and Home](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellingrath-gardens-and-home) — Alabama, US · Botanical Garden - [Morningside Nature Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/morningside-nature-center) — Florida, US · Nature Reserve - [Mytoi](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mytoi) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see gallberry](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/gallberry) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Gallberry: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gallberry)