Ilex verticillata
Winterberry Holly, Michigan Holly, Coralberry
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
6-10' tall and wide, Many dwarf cultivars. Oval-rounded to broad-rounded form, tends to sucker, forming large multi-stemmed clumps. Slow to moderate growth rate. Longevity usually is around 50-100 years.
Native Range
Kentucky Native — Native from Nova Scotia to western Ontario, south to Florida, west to Wisconsin and Missouri, usually on the edge of woods or in swamps. The most northerly distributed of the hollies in America. Introduced in 1736.
Flower and Fruit Details
Dioecious flowers, greenish to white, May-June, inconspicuous in leaf axils. Female flowers borne singly, or in 2's or 3's. Male flowers in clusters of 6 or more. Both male and female plants are needed for fruit set. Fruits are berry-like, rounded drupes, 0.25-0.5" diameter, often in pairs, on female plants. Green in growing season, vivid orange to reddish-orange to red depending on selection in fall and winter. May persist until January or later. Poisonous to humans.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Simple deciduous leaves, alternate, 1.5-3" long, generally dark green above. Little if any fall leaf color, occasionally yellowish. Young bark is olive-brown to purplish-brown, becoming dark gray to dark brown or black, interesting twist to branches. Smooth with some lenticels.
Culture and Care
Prefers moist, acid, organic soil, but adaptable to wet conditions. Best fruit production in full sun. Tough & somewhat drought resistant. Zones 3-9. Tolerates soils from pH 4.5-8.0. Tolerates clay, flooding and compacted soils. Salt sensitive. Susceptible to tar spots and leaf spot diseases, & powdery mildew, but infrequent & not serious, except that scale insects are difficult to see on the stems.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
Fruit display is beautiful in a snowy setting. Cut stems of berries will keep for months indoors if not placed in water. Good wildlife value. 3-season interest: Summer, Fall and Winter. The various cultivars have different bloom times, some earlier and some later over the span of several weeks. It is imperative that female cultivars are paired with a correct male cultivar, to match bloom time for optimal pollination and berry production.
Suggested Uses
Excellent for mass effect, shrub borders, along waterways, and wet areas.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Ilex verticillata 'Afterglow' // Afterglow Winterberry Holly, Afterglow Coralberry, Afterglow Michigan Holly, Afterglow Black Alder
Shrub. Compact, globe-shaped shrub, average mature size of 10' tall and wide. FEMALE form, best pollinated with 'Jim Dandy'. Glossy green leaves smaller than typical. Showy fruits are reddish-orange, 5/16" by 11/32". A seedling selection, named and introduced in 1976 by Simpson Nursery in Vincennes, Indiana.
BS009074 - BS009076Ilex verticillata 'Chickemmoo' // Chickemmoo Winterberry Holly
Shrub. An 8' compact selection introduced by Polly Hill. FEMALE form with red berries that holds good fruit color later into the winter. Can be maintained at 3-5' by annual pruning. Lustrous, dark green leaves, but little fall foliage color.
BS009055Ilex verticillata 'Jim Dandy' // Jim Dandy Winterberry Holly
Shrub. An early-flowering male, 10' tall by 7' wide, compact and densely branched. Zone 4. Used to pollinate various northern-type female deciduous hollies, such as 'Afterglow', 'Aurantiaca', 'Autumn Glow', 'Berry Heavy', 'Berry Nice', 'Red Sprite', etc.
Bed 184 - BS009100Ilex verticillata 'Oosterwijk' // Oosterwijk Winterberry Holly
Shrub. Vigorous shrub. Very rare as a plant in the United States. Fruits are abundant, red, globose. This was the first Ilex verticillata cultivar named in Europe. Developed from a seedling selected and named in the Netherlands in 1984. Fruited branches, which keep well in cold storage, are shipped all over the world from the Netherlands for Christmas.
Bed 230Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite' // Red Sprite Winterberry Holly
Shrub. Very compact, rounded, dwarf form, only 3-5' tall, with an abundance of large, persistent, red, globose, slightly-flattened fruits, 0.5" in diameter. Pedicels 1/8" long. This was a chance seedling from the wild, discovered near Hampden, Massachusetts, and first sold as 'Nana'. Lustrous, dark green leaves. Needs to be pollinated by a male cultivar such as 'Jim Dandy' or 'Appollo' in order to produce fruits.
Bed 184Ilex verticillata 'Shaver' // Shaver Winterberry Holly
Shrub. Upright to inversely conical, compact, growth habit, slowly growing to 6' tall and 4' wide. Large, orange-red fruits to 0.5" diameter. Thin, light green, glossy leaves are 2.5" long and 0.75" wide. Early-flowering, northern type of deciduous holly. Selected as a seedling plant in 1955 from the University of West Virginia Horticulture Research Farm.
-- not currently in our collection --Ilex verticillata 'Southern Gentleman' // Southern Gentleman Winterberry Holly
Shrub. Average mature size 6-10' tall and wide. MALE form, formerly known as 'Late Male', does not produce its own fruit. It is used for pollination of southern types such as 'Cacapon', 'Shaver', 'Sparkleberry', 'Sunset', Winter Red®, and 'Winter Gold'.
Bed 184 - BS009018Ilex verticillata 'Spriber' // Berry Nice ('Spriber') Winterberry Holly
Shrub. Upright, rounded habit, 6-8' tall and wide. Dense, heavy fruit set of dark red fruits, persisting later than some cultivars, often until spring. Lustrous, dark green leaves, 3-5" long, with good foliage mildew resistance. Good hedge or rain garden plant. Needs acid soil, tolerates erosion and air pollution. An introduction from Spring Meadow Nursery. One male pollinator such as 'Southern Gentleman' or 'Jim Dandy' will pollinate 9-10 'Berry Nice' females.
Bed 184Ilex verticillata 'Winter Gold' // Winter Gold Winterberry Holly
Shrub. Rounded habit, 7' tall and wide, with 3/8" fruits that are yellowish tinged pinkish-orange, or golden in color. Leaf color is lighter green than 'Winter Red'. Fruits borne singly on a 1/16" pedicel, or 3 together. Hardy to Zone 4. This is a branch sport of 'Winter Red', discovered in 1984 at Simpson Nursery in Vincennes, IN. Selected and named in 1987. Persistent fruits are not readily eaten by birds, so remain showy long into the winter.
Bed 184 - Bed 232Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red' // Winter Red Winterberry Holly
Shrub. Erect, rounded habit, 9' tall and 8' wide. FEMALE form having bright red fruit when pollinated by a male plant; best pollination from 'Southern Gentleman'. The intense red color of the fruit is maintained throughout winter, beautiful in a snowy setting. Flowers late. Fruits are vivid red, globose, 5/16-3/8", very abundant and persistent, long into the winter. Leaves are the southern type, dark green, glossy, elliptic, lanceolate. Introduced in 1977 by Simpson Nursery in Vincennes, Indiana.
Bed 185