Red Sprite winterberry

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowering and berry production are best in full sun.

Water

Keep the soil consistently moist, especially while establishing and during dry spells. Established plants tolerate wet ground and occasional standing water.

Soil

Acidic, moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter; tolerates clay and poorly drained ground. Aim for pH 4.5-6.5 and avoid chalky or alkaline soil.

Height

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Spread

3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)

Flowers

Small, greenish-white flowers in late spring to early summer; inconspicuous but important for pollination.

Foliage

Oval, pointed, dark green leaves with toothed edges; autumn colour is usually yellow-green and not especially showy.

Growth

Slow to moderate.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.8 ft (0.54 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.9 ft (0.58 m)

4. After 3 years

   2 ft (0.62 m)

5. After 5 years

   2.3 ft (0.69 m)

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

the US and Canada

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant a compatible early-flowering male, such as 'Jim Dandy', within about 50 ft (15 m); one male can usually pollinate several female plants.
• Water deeply during dry weather so the root zone does not dry out, particularly during the first two growing seasons.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of leaf mould or bark mulch over the root area, keeping it away from the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak; use a fertiliser suitable for acid-loving shrubs and follow the label rate.
• Remove unwanted suckers at ground level if you need to keep the clump within its allotted space.

Pruning. Prune sparingly in late winter or early spring, removing dead, damaged or crossing stems and, if needed, a few of the oldest stems at ground level. Avoid shearing or routine shortening of every branch, which removes flowering wood and reduces the following berry display.

Late winter

Remove damaged stems and thin only where necessary; leave sound fruiting branches for birds and winter colour.

Spring

Plant while the soil is workable, water thoroughly and mulch the root area.

Late spring

Check that a nearby male winterberry flowers at the same time as Red Sprite.

Summer

Water during dry spells and check pale leaves for signs of alkaline-soil chlorosis.

Autumn

Enjoy the berries as the leaves fall; avoid cutting many stems if you want a full winter display.

Winter

Leave berries for birds and avoid disturbing waterlogged soil around the roots.

• Plant in small groups beside a path or window where red berries can be seen through winter.
• Use along the damp edge of a rain garden with sedges and moisture-loving perennials.
• Set against dark evergreen shrubs so the bare, berry-covered stems stand out.
• Combine with red-stemmed dogwoods and ornamental grasses for autumn and winter interest.
• Use in a low, informal woodland-edge planting where some suckering is welcome.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Wildlife garden, Bog garden, Winter interest, Cottage garden and New England.

Plant it with: Red-osier dogwood, Summersweet, Virginia sweetspire, Cinnamon fern, Tussock sedge and Swamp milkweed.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and other small pollinating insects. Berries feed birds in autumn and winter, although they may remain untouched until later in the season; branching growth also provides cover.

• Few or no berries: provide an early-flowering male such as 'Jim Dandy', check that flowering overlaps, and avoid heavy pruning or deep shade.
• Yellow leaves with green veins: alkaline soil can prevent iron uptake; test the soil and move the shrub to suitable acidic ground if the site is chalky.
• Wilting or leaf scorch in dry weather: water deeply and renew mulch; this is not a good shrub for a dry border.
• Leaf spots: remove fallen affected leaves and improve airflow; minor spotting usually does not need treatment.

Toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses if eaten. Berries and leaves contain saponins and can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort; poisoning is usually gastrointestinal rather than life-threatening, but seek medical or veterinary advice after ingestion.

• Possumhaw (Ilex decidua)

  Also loses its leaves and carries red fruit, but usually becomes a much larger shrub or small tree. Its leaves tend to be narrower at the base, broader toward the tip and more rounded at the tip than winterberry leaves.

• Inkberry (Ilex glabra)

  Keeps its leaves through winter and normally bears black berries rather than red ones.

• English holly (Ilex aquifolium)

  Has leathery evergreen leaves, often with sharp spines, rather than winterberry's thinner, deciduous, finely toothed leaves.

Winterberry refers to the fruit persisting on bare branches in winter, while the Latin verticillata means whorled, referring to the clustered arrangement of flowers and fruit along the stems.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in early summer or separate rooted suckers while dormant to retain the cultivar's characteristics. Seed is slow to germinate and will not produce plants reliably identical to Red Sprite.

Accepted botanical name

Ilex verticillata

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky and Louisiana.

Measured

Soil pH 4.5 to 7.5. Average height 250 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.