Difference between revisions of "American Winterberry"

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{{SPlantbox
 
{{SPlantbox
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|familia=Aquifoliaceae
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|genus=Ilex
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|species=verticillata
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|common_name=American Winterberry
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|name_ref=Wikipedia
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|habit=shrub
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|habit_ref=Wikipedia
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|Min ht metric=m
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|Max ht box=5
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|Max ht metric=m
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|height_ref=Wikipedia
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|features=deciduous
 
|Temp Metric=°F
 
|Temp Metric=°F
 
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
 
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
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|image=Upload.png
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|image=Winterberry1.jpg
 
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|image_caption=Fruit in winter
 
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'''''Ilex verticillata''''' ('''American Winterberry''') is a species of [[holly]] native to  eastern [[North America]] in the [[United States]] and southeast [[Canada]], from [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] west to [[Ontario]] and [[Minnesota]], and south to [[Alabama]].<ref name=grin>Germplasm Resources Information Network: [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?19789 ''Ilex verticillata'']</ref>
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It is a [[shrub]] growing to 1–5 m tall. It is one of a number of hollies which are [[deciduous]], losing their leaves in the fall. In wet sites, it will spread to form a dense thicket, while in dry soil it remains a tight shrub. The [[leaf|leaves]] are glossy green, 3.5–9&nbsp;cm long, 1.5–3.5&nbsp;cm broad, with a serrated margin and an acute apex. The [[flower]]s are small, 5&nbsp;mm diameter, with five to eight white petals. The [[fruit]] is a globose red [[drupe]] 6–8&nbsp;mm diameter, which often persists on the branches long into the winter, giving the plant its English name. Like most hollies, it is [[plant sexuality|dioecious]], with separate male and female plants; the proximity of at least one male plant is required to [[pollenizer|pollenize]] the females in order to bear fruit.<ref name=nymf>New York Metropolitan Flora: [http://nymf.bbg.org/profile_species_tech.asp?id=293 ''Ilex verticillata'']</ref><ref name=nl>Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador: [http://www.digitalnaturalhistory.com/flora_aquifoliaceae_index.htm#ilexverticillata Aquifoliaceae: Holly Family]</ref><ref>Bioimages: [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/ilve.htm ''Ilex verticillata'']</ref>
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The winterberry is prized for the midwinter splash of bright color from densely packed berries, whose visibility is heightened by the loss of foliage; therefore it is popular even where other, evergreen, hollies are also grown.
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The species occurs particularly in [[wetland]] habitats, but also on dry sand dunes and grassland. The berries are an important food resource for numerous species of [[bird]]s.<ref name=nymf/>
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{{Inc|
 
{{Inc|
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Ilex verticillata, Gray (Prinos verticillatus, Linn.). Black Alder. Winterberry. Fig. 1950. Shrub, with spreading branches: lvs. obovate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, acuminate or acute, serrate or doubly serrate, usually pubescent beneath, 1 ½ -3 in. long, turning black after frost: all fls. short-stalked: fr. bright red, about ¼ in. across. June, July: fr. in Oct. Canada to Fla., west to Wis. and Mo. Em. 388. F.E. 24: 779. Ilex verticillata var. tenuifolia, Torr. (I. bronxensis, Brit.). Lvs. obovate, glabrous or pubescent, thin: fls. and frs. larger. B.B. (ed. 2) 3:489. Ilex verticillata var. chrysocarpa, Rob. Fra. bright yellow. Also I. fastigiata, Bicknell, from Nantucket, differing in its fastigiate habit and in the narrower lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate lvs., is probably only a variety of this species.—Very variable in shape and texture of lvs. One of the best hardy shrubs with ornamental frs. remaining on the branches until midwinter, and are rarely eaten by birds.
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Ilex verticillata, Gray (Prinos verticillatus, Linn.). Black Alder. Winterberry. Shrub, with spreading branches: lvs. obovate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, acuminate or acute, serrate or doubly serrate, usually pubescent beneath, 1 ½ -3 in. long, turning black after frost: all fls. short-stalked: fr. bright red, about ¼ in. across. June, July: fr. in Oct. Canada to Fla., west to Wis. and Mo. Ilex verticillata var. tenuifolia, Torr. (I. bronxensis, Brit.). Lvs. obovate, glabrous or pubescent, thin: fls. and frs. larger. Ilex verticillata var. chrysocarpa, Rob. Fra. bright yellow. Also I. fastigiata, Bicknell, from Nantucket, differing in its fastigiate habit and in the narrower lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate lvs., is probably only a variety of this species.—Very variable in shape and texture of lvs. One of the best hardy shrubs with ornamental frs. remaining on the branches until midwinter, and are rarely eaten by birds.
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}}
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==Cultivation==
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It is a tough plant which is easy to grow, with very few diseases or pests. Although wet acidic soils are optimal, the winterberry will grow well in the average garden. Numerous [[cultivar]]s are available, differing in size and shape of the plant and color of the berry. At least one male plant must be planted in proximity to one or more females for them to bear fruit.
  
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===Propagation===
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===Pests and diseases===
  
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{{Taxobox
 
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| color = lightgreen
 
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| name = American Winterberry
 
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| status = {{StatusSecure}}
 
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| image = winterberry1.jpg
 
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| image_width = 200px
 
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| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
 
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| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
 
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| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
 
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| ordo = [[Aquifoliales]]
 
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| familia = [[Aquifoliaceae]]
 
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| genus = ''[[Ilex]]''
 
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| species = '''''I. verticillata'''''
 
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| binomial = ''Ilex verticillata''
 
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}}
 
  
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'''American Winterberry''' (''Ilex verticillata''), also known as Black Alder, Black Alder Winterberry, Brook Alder, Coralberry, Deciduous Holly, Deciduous Winterberry, False alder, Fever bush, Inkberry, Michigan Holly, Possumhaw, Striped Alder, Swamp Holly, Virginian Winterberry, White Alder, or Winterberry Holly, is a species of [[holly]] native to a very large area in the eastern [[United States]] and southeast [[Canada]], particularly in [[wetlands]]. The winterberry is one of a number of [[holly|hollies]] which are [[deciduous]], losing their leaves in the fall. Like most hollies, it is [[plant sexuality|dioecious]], with separate male and female plants; the proximity of at least one male plant is required to [[Pollenizer|pollenize]] the females in order to bear fruit.
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==Varieties==
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Other names that have been used include Black Alder Winterberry, Brook Alder, Canada holly
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<ref> [http://www.nswildflora.ca/species/Aquifoliaceae/IlexVert/species.html Nova Scotia Wild Flora]</ref>,
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Coralberry, Deciduous Holly, Deciduous Winterberry, False alder, Fever bush, Inkberry, Michigan Holly, Possumhaw, Swamp Holly, Virginian Winterberry, or Winterberry Holly.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}
  
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The plant can show a lot of variation, ranging in size from 1-5 m tall. It also shows variation in width; in wet sites, it will spread to form a dense thicket, while in dry soil it remains a tight shrub. The winterberry possesses the glossy green foliage typical of hollies, and small white [[flower]]s which give rise to the numerous small red berries which give the plant its name.
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==Gallery==
  
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[[Image:American Winterberry Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red' Cluster 3264px.jpg|thumb|left|Ripe, red winterberries make a desired food for squirrels and winter birds]]
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<gallery perrow=5>
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The winterberry is prized for the midwinter splash of bright color from densely packed berries, whose visibility is heightened by the loss of foliage; therefore it is popular even where other, evergreen, hollies are also grown. The bare branches covered in berries are also popular for cutting and use in [[floristry|floral arrangements]]. It is a tough plant which is easy to grow, with very few diseases or pests. Although wet acidic soils are optimal, the winterberry will grow well in the average garden. Numerous [[cultivar]]s are available, differing in size and shape of the plant and color of the berry. As described above, at least one male plant must be planted in proximity to one or more females for them to bear fruit.
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File:American Winterberry Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red' Cluster 3264px.jpg|
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Image:Upload.png| photo 1
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Image:Upload.png| photo 2
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Image:Upload.png| photo 3
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</gallery>
  
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The winterberry is also popular because its berries attract numerous species of [[bird]]s; however this can also be a drawback as they also attract [[deer]] and small [[mammal]]s. The berries were used by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] for medicinal purposes, the origin of the name "fever bush".
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==References==
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<references/>
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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* [http://www.inmygarden.org/archives/2004/12/great_americans_14.html Great Americans: Winterberry] from The Monday Garden
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*{{wplink}}
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* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/ilve.htm ''Ilex verticillata'' images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu]
 
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* [http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/ilex_verticillata.html NC State University: ''Ilex verticillata'']
 
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*[http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/i/ilever/ilever1.html UConn Plant Databae: ''Ilex verticillata'']
 
  
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[[Category:Aquifoliales]]
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:Flora of Canada]]
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__NOTOC__
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[[Category:Flora of the United States]]
 
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[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
 
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[[Category:Ornamental plants]]
 

Latest revision as of 20:28, 18 March 2010


Fruit in winter


Plant Characteristics
Habit   shrub

Height: ⇕ 1 m"m" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 1. to 5 m"m" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 5.
Cultivation
Features: ✓ deciduous
Scientific Names

Aquifoliaceae >

Ilex >

verticillata >


If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!


Ilex verticillata (American Winterberry) is a species of holly native to eastern North America in the United States and southeast Canada, from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, and south to Alabama.[1]

It is a shrub growing to 1–5 m tall. It is one of a number of hollies which are deciduous, losing their leaves in the fall. In wet sites, it will spread to form a dense thicket, while in dry soil it remains a tight shrub. The leaves are glossy green, 3.5–9 cm long, 1.5–3.5 cm broad, with a serrated margin and an acute apex. The flowers are small, 5 mm diameter, with five to eight white petals. The fruit is a globose red drupe 6–8 mm diameter, which often persists on the branches long into the winter, giving the plant its English name. Like most hollies, it is dioecious, with separate male and female plants; the proximity of at least one male plant is required to pollenize the females in order to bear fruit.[2][3][4]

The winterberry is prized for the midwinter splash of bright color from densely packed berries, whose visibility is heightened by the loss of foliage; therefore it is popular even where other, evergreen, hollies are also grown.

The species occurs particularly in wetland habitats, but also on dry sand dunes and grassland. The berries are an important food resource for numerous species of birds.[2]


Read about American Winterberry in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Ilex verticillata, Gray (Prinos verticillatus, Linn.). Black Alder. Winterberry. Shrub, with spreading branches: lvs. obovate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, acuminate or acute, serrate or doubly serrate, usually pubescent beneath, 1 ½ -3 in. long, turning black after frost: all fls. short-stalked: fr. bright red, about ¼ in. across. June, July: fr. in Oct. Canada to Fla., west to Wis. and Mo. Ilex verticillata var. tenuifolia, Torr. (I. bronxensis, Brit.). Lvs. obovate, glabrous or pubescent, thin: fls. and frs. larger. Ilex verticillata var. chrysocarpa, Rob. Fra. bright yellow. Also I. fastigiata, Bicknell, from Nantucket, differing in its fastigiate habit and in the narrower lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate lvs., is probably only a variety of this species.—Very variable in shape and texture of lvs. One of the best hardy shrubs with ornamental frs. remaining on the branches until midwinter, and are rarely eaten by birds.


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

It is a tough plant which is easy to grow, with very few diseases or pests. Although wet acidic soils are optimal, the winterberry will grow well in the average garden. Numerous cultivars are available, differing in size and shape of the plant and color of the berry. At least one male plant must be planted in proximity to one or more females for them to bear fruit.

Propagation

Pests and diseases

Varieties

Other names that have been used include Black Alder Winterberry, Brook Alder, Canada holly [5], Coralberry, Deciduous Holly, Deciduous Winterberry, False alder, Fever bush, Inkberry, Michigan Holly, Possumhaw, Swamp Holly, Virginian Winterberry, or Winterberry Holly.[citation needed]

Gallery

  • American Winterberry Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red' Cluster 3264px.jpg

  • photo 1

  • photo 2

  • photo 3

References

  1. ↑ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Ilex verticillata
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 New York Metropolitan Flora: Ilex verticillata
  3. ↑ Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador: Aquifoliaceae: Holly Family
  4. ↑ Bioimages: Ilex verticillata
  5. ↑ Nova Scotia Wild Flora

External links


Retrieved from "http://gardenology.mywikis.net/w/index.php?title=American_Winterberry&oldid=125964"