| Winterberry Holly | |
|
|
Winterberry
Holly, llex verticillata (L.) Gray Height: A clumped shrub 1-3 m high. Twigs: Pale brown to gray, and smooth or slightly fuzzy. Buds: Small and blunt, brown, and have broadly rounded scales. Older branches are dull and gray. Leaves: Alternate, elliptical, oval or spatula-shaped, sharp-pointed at the tip and wedge-shaped at the base, sharply toothed, and 1.3-5 cm long. They are dull green and smooth above, somewhat lighter and smooth or slightly fuzzy beneath. In the fall they turn yellow and dark brown before dropping. Flowers: Small, greenish-white, forming clusters of 3-12 in the leaf axils. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. There are 4-7 petals and male flowers have an equal number of yellow stamens. Blooms from mid-July to mid-August. Fruit: Conspicuous clusters of orange to vermillion-colored globular drupes about 6 mm in diameter, solitary or in clusters of 2 to 3 on short stout stalks. Some plants, of the form chrysocarpa Robins, have yellow fruit. Ripen in November and remain on the bush until January. Habitat: Found in swamps, moist woods, damp thickets, along stream banks, and other wet habitats. Found only as localized colonies in Newfoundland. Source:
Native Trees and Shrubs Used
with permission from
|
