Ilex glabra

Product Info

Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra)
Holly Family

Inkberry Holly ticks a lot of boxes--it's evergreen, deer resistant, has abundant nectar for a diverse array of pollinators, has nutritious fruit for birds, and is adaptable to many habitat types. It will thrive in part to full sun in moist soils, but can adapt to shady, drier conditions as well. Inkberry Holly produces inconspicuous, small, greenish-white flowers in the spring, which are dioecious, meaning that individual plants are either male or female. Female plants bear dark, blue fruit that persist into winter and are an important food source for various bird species and other small animals. This shrub will sucker slowly over time to form a small, dense hedge. Leaves are dense in the upper portion of the shrub, but can become sparse on the lower parts with age. It does well with pruning, so can be shaped to a smaller, denser size if desired. Our plants are not sexed--3 to 5 plants are recommended for berry production.

Blooms: White, 3-4 weeks, May-June
Leaves:  Small, evergreen leaves are a glossy dark green, NOT sharp
Height: 6-8'
Space: 5-6'
Soil: Moist-Average, occasionally wet 
Exposure:  Full sun-Part sun-Part shade
Fauna:  High pollinator value--many types of pollinators visit (small flies and bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, ants, and beetles), butterfly host plant, fruit for birds, winter cover
Seeds:Small, blue fruit are a bird favorite, plants are dioecious (male and female flowers occur on separate plants) 
Deer Resistance: High
Zone:5-10
Native Status: NC native, common in the Coastal Plain, rare in the Piedmont
Provenance: Unknown, seed grown