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• December Plant of the Month

  Ilex verticillata ‘Wintergold’ – Wintergold Winterberry

  

  Ilex verticillata ‘Wintergold’, commonly known as Wintergold winterberry, has unique salmon-colored fruit. The berries begin to ripen in late summer to early fall and can last all the way into the new year. The snowy photo was taken on December 20, 2024. Winterberry is a dioecious species, which means there are separate male and female plants. Wintergold winterberry is a female plant, which is why it produces fruit. This specific cultivar came from a red-fruited cultivar called ‘Winter Red’, known for its dense, heavy fruiting—traits that Wintergold also possesses.

  

  Winterberry is a common native shrub in Massachusetts. When it is leafed out, it is harder to spot compared to in the winter. In mid-summer, winterberries have nondescript dark-green leaves, and if you look closely, you may find small green berries beginning to form. The straight species of winterberry can grow up to 15 feet tall and form large clumps that can be equally as wide.

  

  Some of the fruit naturally falls off the plant and is eaten by small rodents, such as mice and chipmunks. In the photo above, you can see how they eat just the pulp and part of the seed, leaving the outer skin of the fruit behind. With the low temperatures in the first week of winter, birds were covering the Wintergold winterberry, eating all of the available fruit.

• 
  Holiday Open House and Party featuring Milton High School Jazz Band

  December 13, 2025 2:00PM -4:00PM

  The Davenport Mansion will open for another year of holiday joy! We invite you to enjoy live music by the Milton High School Jazz Band, light refreshments, a warm fire, and an opportunity to meet our staff. Enjoy the festive decorations throughout the first floor of the mansion or a chilly stroll through the sleepy gardens. Register here.

  If you have any questions, please call 617-333-0924

• 
  Native Plant Seed Sowing Workshop

  The winter seed sowing workshop will focus on the propagation of native perennials that are easy to grow. The workshop will include a brief presentation on the purpose and methods for winter seed sowing. Participants will help sow seeds for a native meadow installation at the arboretum and will also go home with their very own seed tray. This event is family friendly!

  Register here

  Call 617-333-0924 or email arboretum@dogwoodlanefarm.org with any questions.

  We will be sowing

  Golden Alexander – Zizia aurea

  Foxglove Beardtongue – Penstemon digitalis

  New England Aster – Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

  New York Ironweed – Vernonia noveboracensis

  Showy Goldenrod – Solidago speciosa

  Fall sneezeweed – Helenium autumnale

  Black Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta

  Butterfly Milkweed – Asclepias tuberosa Pale coneflower – Echinacea pallida

• 
  Enjoy our December e-newsletter

  Click here to check it out!

• 
  Enjoy the Dogwood Lane Fall Quarterly

  Click here to check it out!

• 
  Enjoy our November e-newsletter!

  Click here to check it out!