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.