Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite'
Overview
Uses: Winter interest plantings, foundation beds, damp and low-lying ground, bird and wildlife gardens, mass plantings within view of a window.
Benefits: Oversized red fruit packed along bare stems from October into midwinter, a compact rounded frame that holds under four feet without pruning, and a berry load heavy enough that a single plant carries a whole bed.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3–9
Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun/Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Rounded, Mounding — dense compact frame branching low to the ground.
Mature Height: 3–4 feet
Mature Width: 3–5 feet
Growth Rate: Slow
Summary
The berries are larger than the species produces and there are more of them, on a plant half the size. That is the entire pitch, and it is enough.
'Red Sprite' is a dwarf female winterberry selected for exactly one job. Through spring and summer it is a quiet, dense, rounded shrub with clean dark green leaves — pleasant, unremarkable, easy to place at the front of a bed. Then the leaves drop in October and what is left is bare gray stems packed shoulder to shoulder with fruit the size of a pea, in a red that stays saturated through snow, ice, and gray weather until the birds finally clear it out in January or February.
Because it stays around three to four feet, it works where full-size winterberry does not — under a window, along a walk, at the front of a foundation bed, in a group of three or five where a taller selection would crowd the space. The compact habit is natural rather than maintained; it does not require shearing to stay that size.
Winterberry is a native holly of wet ground, and it keeps that preference in the garden. Damp soil, low spots, pond edges, and heavy clay all suit it. It is also a well-documented winter food source for cedar waxwings, robins, bluebirds, and thrushes once other fruit has been stripped.
One thing to plan for: winterberry plants are either male or female, and only females fruit. 'Red Sprite' is female and needs a male winterberry planted nearby to set the crop.
Care
Red Sprite Winterberry Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. Fruit set is directly proportional to light — full sun produces the heaviest crop, and deep shade produces very little.
Soil should be acidic and moisture-retentive. Winterberry grows naturally in swamps and low woods, handles clay and periodic flooding without difficulty, and struggles in alkaline soil, where the foliage yellows. It does not tolerate extended dry conditions.
Water consistently, particularly through establishment and during summer heat. Drought stress during fruit development causes berries to drop before they color.
Feed lightly in early spring with an acid-forming slow release fertilizer if growth is weak or the foliage is pale. In good soil the plant needs nothing.
Prune in late winter before growth begins, and prune sparingly. Fruit forms on old wood, so heavy cutting costs you the display. The compact habit is natural and does not require shaping — limit yourself to removing dead or damaged stems.
Plant a male winterberry within roughly 50 feet for pollination. One male will service several females. Bloom times need to overlap, so pair early-blooming females with early-blooming males.
Size
What Size is the Red Sprite Winterberry for Sale Online?
Our Red Sprite Winterberry ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Red Sprite Winterberry Grow?
Expect a dense rounded shrub roughly 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. Growth is slow, so allow several seasons to reach full size. Space 3 feet on center for a connected mass, or 4 feet to keep plants as individual mounds.
Additional Information
Do I need a second plant to get berries?
Yes. Winterberry is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plants, and only female plants produce fruit. 'Red Sprite' is female. You will need a male winterberry with an overlapping bloom period planted within about 50 feet — one male pollinates several females. If you are unsure which male pairs with it, contact us and we will point you to the right one.
What are some common names for this plant?
This plant is commonly called Winterberry or Winterberry Holly. The species is also known as Michigan Holly and, less often, Black Alder.
Does it lose its leaves? I thought hollies were evergreen.
Winterberry is one of the deciduous hollies. It drops its foliage every fall, which is exactly what makes the display work — the fruit is far more visible on bare stems than it would be behind evergreen leaves.
How long do the berries last?
They color in October and typically hold into January or February, depending on how quickly birds find them. Cold does not damage the fruit; birds are the limiting factor, and in a hard winter they may strip a plant in a week. Other selections that carry winter interest are in our Native Plants of North America collection.
Can it grow in wet soil?
Yes. It occurs naturally in swamps, bogs, and low wet woods and is one of the better shrub choices for ground that stays damp or floods seasonally. Heavy clay is fine. The one soil requirement is acidity. More options in this size range are in our Shrubs & Bushes collection.
