Ilex Mr. Poppins® Winterberry

Ilex (Winterberry)  AI-luyhks

Proven Winners Mr. Poppins®:  The low, mounding, male form of this compact Winterberry is densely covered with dark green leaves and grows just 3-4′ tall. Mr. Poppins® serves as the perfect pollinator for the female variety Berry Poppins®, and thrives in damp areas in mixed borders. Like most Hollies, Ilex verticillata has separate male and female plants. While only female plants can produce berries, male plants are necessary to provide pollen for their flowers. Gardeners usually give female plants a prominent spot and tuck the male plants in an out-of-the-way corner.

Zone 3

Full to Part Sun

Height: 3-4’/Spread: 3-4′

Winter Interest

Size Available: 3 Gallon

Ilex Mr. Poppins® Winterberry

Description

Ilex (Winterberry)  AI-luyhks

Winterberry is a deciduous holly that is notable for its bright red berries that hang on well into winter. Besides adding color to the landscape, the berries are fed upon by many different types of birds in the winter when food can be scarce. It is a medium to large shrub typically reaching 6 to 10 feet tall, occasionally larger. It spreads slowly by root suckering.

Winterberry Holly prefers full sun to part shade and mesic to wet soils. It is a great plant for lake, pond or marsh edges. It also grows in swamps and at the edges of upland forests where the water table approaches the surface. In the home landscape it can be maintained in mesic, loamy soils as well as wet sites. It is best to avoid pruning winterberry hollies – pruning at any time of the year will impact the number of flowers and the quantity of fruit that the plant sets. Little pruning should be required, though very old branches can be removed in early spring if they are no longer producing vigorous growth.