Strongbox Inkberry
Ilex glabra 'Strongbox'
Compact, mounding inkberry at three to four feet, no shearing needed. Evergreen through wet, cold sites; winter berries feed bluebirds and robins.
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
Compact, non-suckering, deer-proof, and evergreen in wet sites. a foundational shrub for difficult spots.
Strongbox inkberry is a compact, mounding cultivar of native inkberry that stays dense and tidy without the suckering habit of the straight species. The glossy dark green foliage holds through winter without browning or tip damage, making it one of the most reliable evergreen shrubs for wet, cold, exposed sites in the Mid-Atlantic. Plant it at the edge of a rain garden, along a low spot in the yard, or as a massing shrub under trees. The small black berries that ripen in fall stay on the plant through winter, feeding bluebirds, robins, cedar waxwings, and other frugivores when little else is available. It stays naturally compact, three to four feet tall and wide, with no shearing required, which is exactly the point of this cultivar.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown strongbox 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.
Plant strongbox inkberry instead of Japanese holly (Ilex crenata). Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 3–4 ft · 4–5 ft wide
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Aquifoliaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Florida, primarily coastal plain
Care notes for strongbox inkberry.
Inkberry thrives in moist to wet, acidic soils but adapts to average garden conditions once established. Full sun to full shade. one of the few fruiting shrubs that tolerates dense shade. Deer resistant and largely pest-free. If plants get leggy, cut back hard in early spring for full rejuvenation.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside strongbox 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’.