Southern Gentleman Winterberry

Ilex verticillata 'Southern Gentleman'

Southern Gentleman is not the star of the show. it's the reason the star shines. This is the male pollinator cultivar that makes female winterberries like 'Winter Red' and 'Red Sprite' produce their spectacular berry crops. Without a male planted nearby, female winterberries produce little to no fruit. With Southern Gentleman in range, the difference is transformative: the females light up in October with thousands of red berries that last into February and feed every bird that passes through. It's a handsome shrub in its own right. clean, dark green foliage through summer, adaptable to wet sites and clay, deer resistant, and covered in small white flowers in summer that feed native bees generously. Plant one male per four to six female plants within fifty feet. Then step back and wait for October.