With the cold blast of winter, I’ve been thinking about winter interest plants for our landscape design clients in Knoxville. Carex Design Group owner and landscape architect Bob Graves shared some of his favorites here. One of my favorites is Winterberry Holly.

Plant Name:

Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) with popular cultivars including: Afterglow (female) and Jim Dandy (male) or Berry Heavy (female) and Mr. Poppins (male).

What It Looks Like:

Winterberry Holly has beautiful red berries in the winter much like other holly varieties. What’s unique about Winterberry Holly is that it’s deciduous, which means it loses its leaves in winter, leaving only its vibrant red berries on display.

Where to Use It:

Because of its unique winter look, Winterberry Holly can be used as a focal point in your landscaping or grouped to create a hedge. I also like using this plant in rain gardens or along streams because it tolerates wet soil conditions well. An important note to remember is that hollies are dioecious, which means that you need both male and female plants to produce berries.

What It Needs:

This plant prefers partial sun to full sun and requires early-spring pruning of older branches that aren’t producing healthy growth.

More Cool Reasons Why We Love It:

In addition to being an attractive plant for your winter garden or rain garden, Winterberry Holly is also an exciting feast for birds. Plus, its berried stems make for a beautiful winter arrangement for indoor decorating.(You can check out other decorating ideas from your landscaping here.)

Contact Us

For help incorporating the perfect plants into your Knoxville landscape design, give us a call at 865-765-5550 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.