Ilex Berry Heavy (Ilex verticillata 'Berry Heavy')
EYE-leks ver-tiss-ill-LAY-tah 'Berry Heavy'

Deciduous Perennial Shrub
Winterberry is a deciduous holly native to wet woods, swamps, and bog edges across eastern North America, including northern Illinois. Unlike most hollies, it drops its leaves in fall, which is exactly the point: that reveals bare, twiggy branches studded with small, bright red berries that persist through winter, feeding dozens of bird species when other food sources are scarce. Inconspicuous greenish-white flowers appear in late spring (May to June in the Chicago area); plants are dioecious, so a male plant must grow within about 50 feet of female plants for the females to set fruit. It tolerates consistently moist to seasonally wet, acidic soil in full sun to partial shade, and suckers over time to form a multi-stemmed clump.

Pros

  • Bright red berries persist on bare branches through winter
  • Tolerates wet, poorly-drained sites few other shrubs handle
  • Genuinely native to Illinois and much of the eastern US
  • Feeds dozens of bird species in winter
  • Low maintenance once established

Cons

  • Dioecious - needs a male plant nearby for females to produce berries
  • Needs acidic soil; chlorotic (yellow leaves) in alkaline soil
  • Loses its leaves in fall (bare in winter is the point, but not evergreen)
  • Berries and leaves mildly toxic if ingested
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 6 - 8 feet tall. 96 - inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance - Wet
Zones 3a - 9b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Birds, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Full Sun, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Dried Flowers, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Shrub, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant, Winter Interest
Bloom Period Late Spring
Flower Color Red / Red
 

More Info from Experts
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2024 : 05/01 - 06/02
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!