Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ (Winterberry)

Acclaimed for its heavy fruiting, Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ is a slow-growing, multi-stemmed shrub with an upright-rounded habit. This deciduous winterberry holly produces abundant small greenish-white flowers in late spring or early summer, followed by a profusion of large, glossy golden-peachy berries from early fall throughout winter. Extremely attractive, they enliven the winter landscape and often persist into early spring unless eaten by birds. The foliage of dark green leaves turns golden-bronze in fall. ‘Winter Gold’ is a female plant and needs a male pollinator to produce attractive golden berries. Generally, one male winterberry will be sufficient for pollinating 6-10 female plants. Since the blooms come late, ‘Winter Gold’ requires a late-blooming male as a pollinator (such as ‘Southern Gentleman’).

• Grows up to 5-8 ft. tall and wide (150-240 cm).
• Winner of the Gold Medal Award of The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
• This plant is easily grown in full sun to part shade in average, medium to wet, well-drained, acidic soils. Tolerates poorly drained soils as well as wet boggy conditions. It does poorly in neutral to alkaline soils and often dies. The most prolific fruit displays generally occur in full sun to light shade. While it can grow in shady conditions, winterberry produces few fruits and is less attractive, becoming a loose and scraggly shrub.
• 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 fruited salmon branches make lovely home decorations.
• Flowers appear on new growth. Prune to shape in early spring, just before new growth appears.
• Native to Eastern North America