Inkberry Hollies are considered the hardiest of shrubby evergreen hollies. Preferring wet soil, you'll find them growing in low lying areas throughout the Southeast. They are also tolerant of shady locations.

The stiff, upright branches of inkberries typically grow with a rounded habit. While they are at home in damp areas, they also adjust easily to windy, dry sites. For this reason they are particularly useful at the seashore.

Inkberry leaves are narrowly oval, shiny, dark green above, lighter beneath, 1 to 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Their edges are gently toothed toward the tip of the leaves. Leaves of male inkberries stay green all winter, while those of the female shrubs tend to become brown as winter sets in. Inkberry can stand heavy pruning.

Inkberry flowers are creamy white, small, with 4 tiny petals. Male flowers grow in small clusters where leaves join the stems, female flowers are solitary. Flowers of both ***es appear in late spring or early summer. Berries about 1/4 inch in diameter, which may be either black or white, appear in mid-autumn and last until early spring. Numerous songbird and game species eat Holly berries, but they are poisonous to humans.


Cultivars will vary mostly in size and compactness, though there are some with white berries, and a few with purple foliage in the winter. Compacta: is a dwarf female clone which is lower and more dense than normal; it bears heavy fruit. Grows 4 to 5 feet high and spreads as wide. Nordic: grows smaller than Compacta; Leucocarpa: has white berries; Nigra has purplish foliage in the winter.

Light Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Hardiness Range: Zones 4 - 9

Height: 6 - 8 feet

Spread: 8 - 10 feet

Growth Rate: Medium

Landscape Uses: Inkberry hollies make great hedges for both privacy and wind control. The smaller, dwarf varieties make great border plants with their low growth and compact size.

Cultivars:
Cultivars will vary mostly in size and compactness, though there are some with white berries, and a few with purple foliage in the winter. Compacta: is a dwarf female clone which is lower and more dense than normal; it bears heavy fruit. Grows 4 to 5 feet high and spreads as wide. Nordic: grows smaller than Compacta; Leucocarpa: has white berries; Nigra has purplish foliage in the winter.

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Mark Roscoe
CLP, CTP, Certified Applicator
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