Winterberry
Scientific name: Ilex verticillata
Winterberry is an erect moderate-sized shrub, growing to heights of 5 to 15 feet tall. The leaves of common winterberry are not shaped with sharp teeth like other hollies and are not evergreen. The purplish green foliage turns black, in fact, with the first frost. The inconspicuous flowers, however, are followed by dense clusters of bright red berries that remain on the branches throughout winter.
Robert H. Mohlenbrock USDA NRCS PLANTS
Leaves
The simple, smooth, obovate to oblong-ovate foliage is sharply double toothed, with medium fine texture. The deciduous leaves are arranged alternately along the stems. Each leaf is . Each leaf is 1½ to 4 inches long, with dark green summer color turning yellow in fall, then drop off by mid-October.
Fruit
Scarlet red to orange, globular fruit mature by late summer, often remaining on the plant into mid-winter. The berrylike fruit is about 1/4 inch in diameter, occurring singly or in pairs, each containing 3 to 5 small nutlets. There are an average of 92,000 seeds per pound.
Flowers
Small, inconspicuous, axillary, greenish to yellowish white flowers bloom from April to July, after leaves have emerged.
Good to Know
Although this shrub species is a good provider of wildlife food, its fruits are poisonous to humans.
Habitat
The attractive bright red fruit of winterberry is eaten by small mammals and more than 48 species of birds. The leaves and stems of winterberry are not a preferred source of browse, but moose, whitetail deer, cottontail rabbits, and snowshoe hare do utilize this plant. The persistent bright red fruit of this shrub make it very popular for landscaping. It is recommended for planting in shady moist areas, even though its growth and form are best under open grown conditions.
Leaves
The simple, smooth, obovate to oblong-ovate foliage is sharply double toothed, with medium fine texture. The deciduous leaves are arranged alternately along the stems. Each leaf is . Each leaf is 1½ to 4 inches long, with dark green summer color turning yellow in fall, then drop off by mid-October.
Fruit
Scarlet red to orange, globular fruit mature by late summer, often remaining on the plant into mid-winter. The berrylike fruit is about 1/4 inch in diameter, occurring singly or in pairs, each containing 3 to 5 small nutlets. There are an average of 92,000 seeds per pound.
Flowers
Small, inconspicuous, axillary, greenish to yellowish white flowers bloom from April to July, after leaves have emerged.
Winterberry in Winter
Winterberry Leaves and Flowers
Credit: R.W. Smith
Winterberry bush
Credit: George H. Bruso
Winterberry Leaves
Credit: Sally & Andy Wasowski
More on Trees and Shrubs in Lewisboro
Lewisboro was once entirely forested except for patches of open field caused by fire and wetlands and ponds which were expanded by beaver dams. Although it is hard to believe, by 1800 most of Lewisboro’s forests had been cut down and replaced by farms. In 1820 so many trees had been cleared that there was no shade anywhere along the route from Boston to New York.[1] But by the mid-1800’s farming here became uneconomical and as farms were abandoned, the forests began to re-grow. Today, 70% of New York is once again forest, what some call ‘the great environmental story of the United States’[2]. These new forests provide us with beauty and recreation, clean air and water, flood control, erosion prevention, carbon sequestration, cooler temperatures and habitat for other plants, insects, birds and other wildlife.
[1] Cronon, William. Changes in the Land. Macmillan, 1983.
[2] An Explosion of Green. B. Mckibben. Atlantic Monthly 275 (April 1995): 61-83.