Ilex Berry Heavy® Gold Winterberry Holly

A Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs variety, Ilex Berry Heavy® Gold is a native deciduous shrub offering year-round interest, grown for its foliage and big, bright golden berries. The bush blooms in spring; however, the greenish-white flowers are fairly inconspicuous. If properly pollinated, flowers give way to the berries, which come in abundance and persist throughout winter, extending the season of interest, sustaining songbirds on chilly days. The berried branches also make excellent cuts for floral displays.

An Ilex verticillata, commonly called winterberry holly, Berry Heavy Gold has an upright, mounded habit and a slow growth rate. Stoloniferous, it can spread by root suckers. Ilex Berry Heavy Gold is a female variety that produces pea-sized berries if a compatible male is planted within pollination range. One male plant will pollinate 6 to 10 female plants. Although only 2 bushes are required to produce the showy berries, winterberries are shown to best effect massed or grouped.

Easy to grow, Berry Heavy Gold grows best in sunny to partly sunny locations with organically rich, consistently moist loams having an acidic pH. It grows naturally around swamps and bogs, so it tolerates wet soils and a fair amount of shade. Although little to no pruning is required, any desired pruning should be done in early spring just before new growth emerges. Winterberry holly is resistant to deer and tolerant of air pollution.

A native plant, Berry Heavy Gold winterberry holly is indigenous to North America. Native plants are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Naturally adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the region, they thrive without fertilizers or extra watering, once established. They also act as natural pest controls, reducing the need for pesticides in the garden. Landscaping with native plants promotes biodiversity and provides shelter and quality food for wildlife and pollinators, bringing gardens to life.