Red and Wild, that’s Your Theme
Recently, on a drive through Avondale, Pennsylvania, I saw my favorite shrub in all its winter glory, with red berries popping against the white snow of a recent storm.
Then I had a flash back to a favorite movie, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar: “Red and wild. That’s your theme,” says Noxeema Jackson in my head.
So, I decided to spend some time talking about winterberry and how wonderful it is both in functional situations such as helping to block views into a parking lot, and how beautiful it is with its glorious red berries.
Winterberry, or Ilex verticillata, is a native holly that prefers moist conditions such as on the edge of ponds, streams, and even roadside ditches. The straight species can grow upwards of 15 feet tall and readily forms thick masses if left to its own devices.
Winterberry is a deciduous holly, meaning it loses its leaves in the fall. However, its bright red berries persist through winter, providing beauty to the landscape as well as food for numerous birds. However, be aware that the berries are toxic to humans and our pets.
Winterberry is dioecious, meaning there are both male and female plants. So make sure you have a male plant nearby when planting the female plants. The females are the shrubs that produce the berries. Only one male is needed to pollinate six to 10 females. Winterberry produces more berries if given adequate sunlight but will tolerate full-sun to partial-shade conditions.
Winterberry also prefers slightly acidic soils with a good amount of organic matter. If planted in alkaline soils their leaves tend to turn yellow. Adding an acidic fertilizer can help this situation.
Our most popular plants sold at the nurseries usually have a number of varieties and cultivars to choose from for specific purposes in our gardens. Winterberry is no different in this respect. Here are a few that might fit your gardens:
Winter Red produces an abundance of red berries and grows up to nine feet. It is a multi-stemmed shrub that can be used in a buffer or anywhere that a decent size hedge is needed.
Sparkleberry grows up to 10 feet tall and produces a bounty of berries. New foliage growth appears as red that deepens to dark green making this a unique plant. It’s great for large hedges or cover for walls and fences.
Red Sprite is a low mounding shrub that grows between three and five feet in height. Its branches are typically low to the ground, and it works well in mass and in more compact locations of the garden.
Berry Poppins is a dwarf variety that only grows to three or four feet at best. Its berry production is pretty spectacular.
Little Goblin is another dwarf that is relatively new on the market. Berries are extra big on this small plant. The dwarf varieties also can be used in containers.
Winter Gold produces berries that are gold-orange in color. I know, I know, this is supposed to be a red-and-wild theme, but there’s always one that has to be different, right? This variety can grow up to eight feet tall.
I hope I piqued your interest in one of my all-time favorite native shrubs. This is the perfect time to plan your gardens, and maybe keep some room open for winterberry in your design.
Stay safe and let’s garden together! ▼
Eric W. Wahl is Landscape Architect at Pennoni Associates, and President of the Delaware Native Plant Society.