Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’ (Winterberry)

Native to the swampy areas of Eastern North America, Ilex verticillata ‘Red Sprite’ (Winterberry) is a dwarf shrub with excellent year-round interest. This deciduous holly produces abundant small greenish-white flowers in late spring or early summer, followed by a profusion of bright red berries in fall and winter. Extremely attractive, they enliven the winter landscape and often persist into early spring unless eaten by birds. The foliage consists of elliptic, toothed, glossy, dark green leaves. ‘Red Sprite’ is a female plant and needs a male pollinator to produce attractive red berries. Generally, one male winterberry will be sufficient for pollinating 9-10 female plants.

• Slow-growing, this deciduous shrub has an upright, rounded habit and grows up to 3-5 ft. tall and wide (90-150 cm). Its modest size makes it ideal for small gardens.
• Winner of the Cary Award, which recognizes plants that are particularly adequate for New England, offer superior landscape appeal, are winter hardy in zone 5 or colder, and are pest resistant.
• Full sun to part shade lover, this plant is best grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained, acidic soils. Tolerates poorly drained soils as well as wet boggy conditions. Does poorly in neutral to alkaline soils and often dies.
• Generally pest and disease free
• Mass in mixed shrub borders. Perfect as a specimen plant, hedges, or foundation plantings. Excellent shrub for wet soils, bog gardens, rain gardens, and along streams or ponds. The red-fruited branches make lovely home decorations.
• Prune to shape in early spring just before new growth appears
• Native to Eastern North America