Inkberry
Ilex glabra
Native evergreen that handles poor drainage most shrubs can't. Black berries on female plants feed overwintering birds through late winter.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Native, evergreen, tough as nails, and loved by birds. straight-species inkberry is the plant you reach for when nothing else will grow there.
The straight-species inkberry is a native evergreen shrub that earns its place through sheer adaptability. It grows naturally in wetlands and swampy woods across the eastern coastal plain, which means it handles poor drainage that would rot most other shrubs. Give it average garden moisture and it's equally content, truly one of the most site-tolerant shrubs in our inventory. Female plants produce clusters of small black berries that persist from fall through late winter, providing a critical food source for overwintering birds. It spreads gradually by root suckers to form naturalistic thickets, making it ideal for slopes, stream banks, and woodland edges where you want coverage and erosion control alongside bird habitat.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown inkberry propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 5–8 ft · 5–8 ft wide
- Bloom time
- Late spring
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Aquifoliaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America (coastal plain to piedmont)
Care notes for inkberry.
Full sun to part shade in moist to wet soils. Tolerates clay and occasional flooding. Can sucker freely to form colonies. remove unwanted suckers to maintain boundaries if needed. Minimal pruning required. No serious pest or disease issues.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside inkberry.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.