Inkberry

Ilex glabra

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.