Specimen record

Winterberry Holly

Ilex verticillata

Description

A deciduous native holly of wet habitats that is most conspicuous in autumn and early winter, when its dense clusters of bright red berries persist on bare, leafless branches. Unlike the familiar evergreen hollies, winterberry drops its leaves in fall, making the brilliant red fruit display even more striking. It is dioecious — only female plants bear fruit, and a male plant must be nearby for pollination.

Identification tips

• 1Bright red berries densely clustered along bare branches in autumn/winter
• 2Deciduous (unlike most hollies) — drops its leaves to reveal fruit
• 3Alternate, elliptical, finely toothed leaves that turn black in autumn before falling
• 4Multi-stemmed shrub 1–3 m tall in wet soils near ponds and streams
• 5Berries very small (5–8 mm), in tight clusters directly against the twig