Winter Red Winterberry
Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red'
Stems covered in brilliant red berries that hold through February, growing more vivid as it cools. Thrives in wet clay; needs a male for berry set.
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
The most striking native winter display available. thousands of red berries that feed birds for three months and light up a gray winter landscape.
Winter Red is the winterberry cultivar everyone should know. In October, after the leaves drop, the stems are completely covered in brilliant red berries, thousands of them, and they hold through January and February, getting more vivid as the season cools. Against a gray winter sky or fresh snow, a mass planting of Winter Red is one of the most visually striking things in a native garden. Bluebirds, robins, cedar waxwings, and hermit thrushes strip the branches starting in November. It grows in wet, poorly drained, clay, and acidic soils that would kill most ornamental shrubs, which is exactly where it naturally grows. Plant it in that low wet spot in the yard that stays soggy and watch it thrive. Pair with 'Southern Gentleman' or 'Jim Dandy' male plants for reliable berry set: no male, no berries. With the right pairing, the berry production is extraordinary every year.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown winter red winterberry 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 winter red winterberry instead of Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica), which has toxic berries that look similar but harm birds. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 6–8 ft · 6–8 ft wide
- Bloom time
- Summer
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Aquifoliaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Newfoundland to Florida (straight species)
Care notes for winter red winterberry.
Moist to wet, acidic soil in full sun to part shade. Full sun maximizes berry production. Requires a male pollinator ('Southern Gentleman' or 'Jim Dandy') within 50 feet for fruit set. Plant in groups for the best visual impact. Water until established; tolerates wet conditions and clay. Minimal pruning. remove old or crossing stems in late winter only.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside winter red winterberry.
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
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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’.