Winterberry Holly - - Ilex Verticillata 'Winter Red'
'Winter Red' is a deciduous, female winterberry cultivar. It is a slow growing, multi-stemmed, suckering shrub with an erect, compact, round or vase shaped form. The thick, lustrous, dark green leaves fall off the branches in the fall exposing the intense red clusters of berries. Fall leaves may turn a bronze color. With this cultivar the 3/8" size fruits are profuse and ripen in August to September. They will persist on the tree into mid-winter. The fruit is bitter and astringent, so overwintering birds will leave this fruit until other food supplies have dwindled before eating it. This is a shade tolerant plant, but grows best in full sun. It occurs naturally in swampy and poorly drained areas and adapts to a wide range of soil conditions including heavy and wet. However, it is not drought tolerant and alkaline soil will cause chlorosis. 'Winter Red' requires a late blooming pollinizer for fruit production. One male should be planted within 50 feet of every 3-5 females for a maximum fruit production. Pruning for shape should be in early spring just before the new growth appears. Winterberry cuttings are often used in holiday decorations. The cut stems will keep for months if kept in a vase without water.