PlantsShrubs & Vines
Inkberry
Ilex glabra
Zone 6a garden plant. Hardy through a Chicago winter unless the note says to pot it.
A native-east evergreen that can replace boxwood
ModerateShrubs & Vines
- Light
- Full sun–part shade
- Moisture
- Medium–moist
- Mature size
- 3–6 ft
- Spacing
- 3–5 ft
- Bloom or harvest
- Evergreen; small fruit on female plants if a male is nearby
- How it spreads
- Shrub
- What to buy
- A named compact cultivar, and a male if you want fruit.
- When to plant
- Plant April or early September.
In the design
Chicago soil is alkaline and this prefers acid, so mix in composted bark and don't lime it. It still beats boxwood for winter burn. Not a Chicago wild plant. Winterberry is the native holly.
Handle with care
Leaves and berries are not food.
