Family

Aquifoliaceae

Description

‘Winter Red’ is a widely admired cultivar of the native winterberry holly, prized for its prolific display of bright red berries that persist into winter, often remaining vibrant even after leaves have fallen. Unlike evergreen gollies, Ilex verticillata is deciduous, allowing the fruit to stand out dramatically against bare branches and snowy backdrops. This female cultivar requires a male pollinator, such as ‘Southern Gentleman’ to produce fruit. It’s ideal for moist, acidic soils, rain gardens, or naturalized thickets, and provides essential food for overwintering birds.

 

Native to eastern North America, Ilex verticillata grows in wetlands, swamp margins, and along stream banks, where seasonal flooding doesn’t inhibit its growth. It tolerates clay soil and seasonal saturation better than most ornamental shrubs, and it can also adapt to upland site when established.

Bloom Time

May to June; fruit persists fall through winter