Berry Heavy® Ilex Winterberry Holly Shrub

Here we have a deciduous Holly with nice autumn foliage and a long, very fruitful season of red berries to brighten the bleak winter landscape. A native species (Ilex verticillata) untroubled by most pests and diseases, Winterberry Holly has long been a favorite with gardeners looking for some bold color during the "off season." And with new Berry Heavy,® you'll get more than you bargained for -- extra-prolific fruit set and great holding ability, so the berries stay on the tree instead of the ground!

An improvement over older Winterberry Hollies, Berry Heavy® is low maintenance and very showy. Its branches are covered all the way to the tip in bright orange-red fruits, which make stunning indoor arrangements and crafts as well as adding landscape beauty. These berries bring in the birds, too! Plant with a male pollinator for best fruit set. (The two cultivars are available as a fruiting pair as well.)

Berry Heavy® reaches about 6 to 8 feet high and 3 to 5 feet wide, making it suitable for today's smaller gardens as well as the patio or deck in large containers. It is very adaptable to differing soils and moisture levels. In the wild it is found in swampy areas, so it makes a good choice for low-lying, ditchy, and boggy parts of the garden. But it also thrives in average moisture, It even demonstrates superior mildew resistance in hot, humid climates!

This Holly was selected in Michigan, and is admired for its yellow fall color as well as its berries. You will find it an upright, rounded tree, growing slowly to its mature size. Very carefree and showy year after year, Berry Heavy® deserves a place of honor in your landscape. Zones 3-9.