Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’

‘Winter Red’ is a female winterberry cultivar that typically matures to 6-8′ tall. Among winterberry cultivars, it is noted for heavy fruiting, bright red fruit color and good retention of the bright fruit color throughout winter. It is a slow-growing, deciduous, suckering shrub with an upright rounded habit. Lustrous dark green leaves (to 3-5″ long). Relatively inconspicuous whitish flowers appear in the leaf axils in late spring. Flowers, if properly pollinated, give way to a profuse crop of bright red berries (3/8″ diameter) in fall. Berries are quite showy and will persist throughout the winter (hence the common name) often to early spring. Berries provide considerable impact and interest to the winter landscape. Generally one male winterberry (such as I. verticillata ‘Apollo’) will be sufficient for pollinating 9-10 ‘Winter Red’ plants.