Winter Red Winterberry

Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red'

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.