The folks knew that hollies have male and female plants, and that only the females bear berries. Flowers appear on new growth. Female Winterberry Holly Shrubs: Red Sprite Winterberry Holly: A profusion of bright red berries brighten the winter landscape and provide food for birds. Common Winterberry Winterberry Winterberry Holly Phonetic Spelling EE-leks ver-tik-il-LAY-tah Description Winterberry is a deciduous tree that may grow 10 to 15 feet tall, but it often occurs in the wild as a shrub. In general, a pollinating male holly needs to be within 500 feet of the female, but for Ilex verticillata, a distance of 15 feet is recommended. Growing Winterberry Holly. The male must be the same species as the female and bloom at the same time. It usually grows in damp areas like swamps, thickets and along rivers and ponds. To encourage fruit production, plant at least one male bush for every four female plants. Winterberry is dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female plants. Any variety of male blue holly (Ilex x meserveae) can be used to pollinate the red beauty holly, which will result in juicy round red berries. Look for improved varieties, especially if you need a smaller plant. Male. Winterberry holly is an excellent choice for a rain garden because of its ability to tolerate both moist and dry soils. And now … Ilex verticillata, the winterberry, is a species of holly native to eastern North America in the United States and southeast Canada, from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, and south to Alabama. One male winterberry plant produces adequate pollen for up to 10 female plants. By contrast, each female bloom has a green ovary (that is, a green "bump" in the center of its bloom). 'Jim Dandy' is a male plant and is generally grown A deciduous holly valued for its extremely colorful red berries which last throughout winter on female plants; upright growth... 52. Male. Winterberry holly care does not require a male and a female plant, but you’ll need at least one of each in the vicinity if you want the signature red berries. Winterberry holly is dioecious (dye-oh-ee-shus, Greek for “two houses”). (The width should be on the plant tag of each.) Winterberry holly, Ilex verticillata. All hollies are good for attracting pollinators and birds. For best results plant at least one male plant for every three female plants. Add To My Plant List. ‘Afterglow’ and ‘Red Sprite’ are common female Winterberries. Native to North America. Winterberry is a deciduous holly with a tremendous native range encompassing all of the eastern United States and deserves more frequent use as a landscape plant. If you know that you have a female shrub, you will need a male to pollinate it so that the female will produce berries. VCE Publications & Other Online Resources, https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/, https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2901/2901-1077/2901-1077_pdf.pdf. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a deciduous type of holly that grows wild in moist, boggy areas. Note: To ensure fruit set, you must plant a male and a female winterberry. Dwarf winterberry plants, available in both male and female varieties, are small versions and ideal for planting in containers or small gardens. English holly (Ilex aquifolium) is one of the most common with its familiar glossy, dark-green spiky leaves and bright red berries used for Christmas displays. This species does well in wet areas, and its native habitats are places like bogs or swamps. But if your landscape has been well planned, winter need not be a time of colorlessness. It is an upright, rounded, slow-growing shrub that can form thickets from root suckers. Winterberry holly is dioecious, which means each individual plant will bear either male or female flowers. The most common reason for lack of berries on female shrubs is that the tree is either a male or that a male tree is not available nearby to pollinate a female one. * The male and female plants must bloom at precisely the same time for the female to be receptive. For instance, ‘Blue Prince’ and ‘Blue Princess’, ‘China … But what if you have no berries!? Allow one male for every three females. If you decide to plant them beside each other, calculate their distance apart by adding together half of the ultimate width of each. Propagation: Winterberries may be propagated from softwood cuttings. But at that point in the season it is too late to tell. Holly, Winterberry, Jim Dandy Male $19.95 One of the best plants for fall and winter color. The flowers appear either singly or in small clusters along the stems. Some of the most popular male Winterberries include ‘Jim Dandy’ and ‘Late Male’. https://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/encyclopedias/flora/winterberry.html This is the pollinator for Red Sprite Winterberry. taller evergreens. Berries are not edible for humans but are relished by birds after they've softened in mid-winter. Winterberry is a deciduous holly that naturally grows along streams, ponds, and swamps. Keep reading. Male flowers will be staminate, that is they will lack the female pistil. You might be asking why a combo? "Is my winterberry a male or female?" Generally, one male winterberry can pollenize up to ten female plants. It may reach 12' tall and features attractive glossy, light green foliage. Match a female shrub with a male shrub that blooms at roughly the same time in spring. Soil pH Range: 3.8 to 6.0 or slightly acidic soil. Allow one male for every three females. Winterberry ... 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