Ilex verticillata /ˈiːleks/
Common name: Winterberry · Common winterberry · Black alder
Ilex verticillata is a deciduous holly native to eastern North America, where it grows in swamps, wet woods, and along ponds and streams. Unlike most hollies, it drops its leaves in autumn, revealing dense clusters of bright red berries that persist on female plants through winter. It is widely cultivated for this striking cold-season display and as a bird-friendly garden shrub.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun to partial shade; best fruiting in sun
Water
High; prefers consistently moist soil
Soil
Acidic, moist, tolerates wet ground
Hardiness
Zones 3–9
Mature height
About 200–700 cm (7–23 ft)
Pet safe
No; berries are mildly toxic to pets
Difficulty
Moderate
Propagation
Softwood cuttings taken in late spring or early summer root reasonably well with rooting hormone and bottom heat. Take 10 cm tip cuttings, remove lower leaves, and keep in moist, acidic, well-drained medium under humidity. Suckers from established plants can also be detached and potted, and seed requires a long cold stratification.
Fun facts
- It is one of the few deciduous hollies — its "bare branches full of red berries" look makes it a favorite for winter floral arrangements.
- Birds such as robins and cedar waxwings often ignore the berries until late winter, after freeze-thaw cycles soften them.
- Like all hollies it is dioecious, so a compatible male pollinator (e.g., 'Jim Dandy' or 'Southern Gentleman') is needed for female shrubs to fruit.
- Native Americans used winterberry in traditional medicine, which led to its alternate common name "fever bush."