winterberry holly

Ilex verticillata

Winterberry holly is a beautiful shrub that has bright red berries in winter. It grows in wet areas and is loved by birds who eat its berries during the cold months.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The winterberry holly is a unique holly that loses its leaves in autumn, revealing stems covered in incredibly bright red, orange, or sometimes yellow berries. These striking berries remain on the bare branches throughout winter, creating a vibrant display against snow.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderAquifolialesFamilyAquifoliaceaeGenusIlex

winterberry holly

Interesting facts

Its berries can stay attached to branches all winter, even through heavy snow!

Many birds wait for freezing weather to eat the berries, making them taste sweeter!

Only the 'girl' winterberry plants make the super colorful berries you see!

Unlike most hollies, this one drops its leaves, showing off its dazzling fruit.

Special abilities

Winterberry holly can drop all its leaves, making its brilliant red berries stand out, providing a crucial winter food source for birds when other food is scarce.

Winterberry holly has separate male and female plants; only the female plants produce the showy berries after a male plant pollinates them.

Winterberry holly can thrive in wet, swampy soils where many other plants struggle, thanks to its specialized root system.

Measurements & details

Height: 180-450 cm
Spread: 180-300 cm
Flower Size: 0.3-0.6 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: Mild
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

eaten by

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

Eats berries for winter energy.

eaten by

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycilla cedrorum

Feeds on abundant winter berries.

pollinates

European Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Visits small flowers for nectar.

shelters

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Uses dense branches for nesting.

Traits

Deciduous

Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.

Ornamental

Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Cold Hardy

Cold hardy plants are able to withstand low temperatures and freezing conditions without significant damage.

Fruit Bearing

Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

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.