Winterberry - Ilex verticilata - Deciduous Holly

Winterberry is deciduous, will grow well in wet to swampy soils, and is an American denizen, with a native range that covers most of eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Wisconsin, south to Florida and Missouri. Ilex erticilata has nice rounded leaves (not pinchy, pokey or hurty like Ilex opaca and I. aquifolium), and a dioecious arrangement as far as sexual propagation goes. In other words, it takes two to tango: two plants of different genders, that is.
This means that you must have a male for a good fruit set. And that is the point with Winterberry: the heavy fruit set of red to red-orange berries is a wonderful late fall and winter accent, especially when backed up by snow. Planted en masse or in the native bog garden, nothing brightens up a dreary winter’s day in New Haven like a mug of hot chocolate laced with a small dash of liqueur and the sight of a large planting of Winterberry. Even without the hot drink, the beauty of Ilex verticillata in full dudgeon will impress.
There are dozens of named cultivated varieties of Winterberry, with attributes ranging from size of plant to size of berries, longevity of fruit on the shrub, shape, color of berries and cold hardiness. There are some named male varieties that will stay small, and therefore will not take up much room in doing their job with all the ladies about the landscape. There are a handful of male varieties that will pollinate all of the female varieties without fail, which is important as well. It only takes one male to pollinate a lot of females, usually within a quarter mile, so perhaps give your neighbor a nice male for his or her shrub border?
Whoever plants it, it can be found in pots or sometimes balled-and-burlapped, in good nurseries or local garden centers. Best time to buy is right now, so that you can make sure of the color of fruit on the plant. They begin producing at a very early age, so get the camera ready for the Holiday card photos the fall after planting. Full sun or light shade is good, with the better fruit set in full sun. Very adaptable as to soil, Winterberry do well in swampy situations, on dry ground and on almost bare rock. High pH soils tend to show some chlorosis (yellowing) in the leaves, so acid is best. Some varieties can grow to 20 feet high, with a spread almost equal, so give them room when planting. Usually the ten to twelve foot range is more accurate.
The Iroquois had several uses for the plant, including as a febrifuge, a gastrointestinal aid, and emetic, a cathartic and a ‘psychological aid.’ Again please bear in mind my disclaimer: any reporting in these pages on plant uses is to be taken with a grain of salt on the scale of Lot’s wife. Consult your physician, health practitioner or witch doctor before putting anything in your mouth. There are many bird species that depend on Winterberry for forage in the cold months, so by planting Ilex verticillata, you will be inviting these wonderful creatures into your yard and feeding them good stuff for free. What could be better?
There are about 500 or so species in the genus Ilex, which is a Latin word for a tree that looks like a Holly but is actually an Oak (confusing, eh?), and is in the Aquifoliaceae, or Holly family.

[@taitjones6310]

I found some of this at a local park, and thought it was winterberry, now I'm sure.
Thanks

[@janerosexia747]

Is the berry eatable?

[@hannahloveanna6944]

No.

[@ratatouillethemovie9258]

No

[@katievee222]

Is this a buford holly? Are buford holly evergreen?

[@rachdarastrix5251]

Acidic soil you say? I can use a pot of ash.

[@judithpennington-watts5125]

My Winterberry is completely overgrown. It's August, what do I do to protect it from breaking apart in a winter snow (until I can have it properly pruned in Spring) ? thx

[@barbarasanders7965]

I have a plant that looks like that but it never sheds leaves or change color. I live in the South, could that be why?