Berry Heavy® Winterberry Holly (Ilex)
Shrub
- Bare branches display tons of closely-packed bright red berries in winter.
- Native shrub that is durable & easy to grow!
- Tiny white flowers in late spring attract pollinators, berries attract birds.
- For berries to develop, you must plant a male Mr. Poppins winterberry holly.
- Zones 3-9, sun/part sun, 8′ tall x 8′ wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
A note about winterberry holly pollination: Winterberry holly plants are either male or female, and both a male and female plant need to be present in order for fruit to form on the female. Berry Heavy is a female variety, so you will need to purchase the male variety, Mr. Poppins winterberry holly, as well. Only the female plants will develop berries, but one male will pollinate up to five females. Wondering how far apart you can plant the male and female holly plants? Anywhere within about 50’ of each other – the distance you can expect a pollinator to fly on a single foraging trip – is suitable.
Details
Common name: Winterberry holly
Zone: 3-9
Sun exposure: Full sun (6+ hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 6-8' tall and wide
Flower color: White flowers develop into green, then red, berries
Foliage color: Green
Season of Interest: Fall-winter
Bloom time: Spring
Features: Winter interest, rabbit resistant, Proven Winners, native, heat tolerant, fall color, deer resistant, cold tolerant, best for beginners
Uses: Hedge, native plant gardens, wildlife gardens, specimen (be sure to pair with a male plant).
How to Grow
Light: Full sun (6+ hrs/day) to part sun (4-6 hrs/day).
Water: Average to abundant (as long as soil is well-drained).
Space: 2-3' apart, depending on landscape role.
Fertilizing: If desired, fertilize in early spring, once the ground has thawed, with a granular rose fertilizer. A second application may be made in late spring/early summer as well.
Winterizing: 2-3" of shredded bark mulch is important to protect the shallow roots and minimize water loss. Do not allow plants to enter winter "thirsty"; dry soil during cold, windy weather is the main cause of leaf browning or even the plant dying.
Maintenance: Female winterberry hollies cannot be pruned any time of the year without impacting flowering and thereby, fruiting, so it's best to avoid pruning them altogether except to remove any dead wood and once mature, to remove one or two of the oldest stems each year to encourage new and vigorous growth..
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
One of my three bushes didn’t have any leaves and is unlikely to survive. The other two seemed very dry and fragile. All were less than 4” tall.
Hello! We are sorry that you're unsatisfied with your plants. Please email pictures of the plants to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we have a guarantee on all our plants. Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2024! If you received your plants within that time frame, we would happily apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
Received both plants well packaged within a few days of placing the order.
My winterberry, after planting it in the ground, dropped all its leaves. All I have have a bare branches. I water the plant when I received it and planted a few days later. My Mr. Poppins is doing beautifully. Will my Winter Berry survive?
The plant was healthy when it arrived, and it is settling in well and even growing in spite of June temperatures in the 100’s.
Did I get a male and female? Very healthy on arrival
I had my husband plant my six berry heavies all around my beautiful evergreen mound & then reminded him to plant Mr. Berry in the middle of the mound. When my husband was done, he said: Mr. Berry, you are one lucky dude! 🤦🏽♀️
Ditto review
The plants look great!
I loved ordering larger sized plants instead of tiny plants. My plants arrived in beautiful shape. I will be ordering from them again.
Ten Berry Heavy Holly were delivered to my house about two weeks ago. The weather was too cold so the instructions said to keep them in the house. I did not see any instructions for indoor care, so I opened the plastic bags to let air in [which is not easy without very sharp pointed scissors]. I watered them immediately and then on the same schedule as my other house plants. A few days ago, I noticed some of thje leaves were browning on their edges and others were wilting. This was true of plants with both damp and dryer soil.
I concluded that the plants needed to get out into the sun. Fortunately, the weather here near Chicago had warmed. After planting them, most seemed to perk up a little, but not all. The males did better than the females. The couple nights ago, the temperatture dropped to 34 degrees farenheit. All the plants lost most of their leaves. Online sources say hollies are vulnerable to stress, especially abrupt changes in temperature. The sources also said the plants will recover. We shall see.
The point of this is that these plants should not be purchased for use in the Chicago area before May, and only when you are prepared to promptly plant them.
Because of these misfortunes, I have no idea whether these Berry Heavy plants are good or not. If they recover sometime this year, I will praise them. Otherwise, I never will know.
Thank you for your feedback! It’s surprisingly normal for newly transplanted plants to appear like they aren’t growing. That’s because most of the growth occurs below ground in their first year as they allocate more energy to root development. Once your plant is established, it will start investing more in shoot and flower development. Our customer service team would love to hear from you, so please contact us with photos of the plants and your order number, and we'd be happy to assist you! https://bit.ly/contact-ggp To learn more about how plants “sleep, creep, and leap”, read our FAQ here: https://bit.ly/FAQ-plant-growth
Received two Mrs and one Mr. in PERFECT condition. Planted approx two weeks ago and they have settled in nicely. (Although Mr. said that he wanted to be closer to the one Mrs.)
Arrived healthy. Growing great
We bought 4 females and 1 male winterberry bushes a couple of weeks ago, put them in the ground, and we already see new growth!
My shrubs came quickly and in great shape. They are doing well where I planted them.
I have struggled for years to grow winterberries from seeds and finally gave up and ordered two plants from Great Gardens. My only comment is "what the heck took me so long"! My newly planted specimens are healthy, happy and the force is definitely with them. Good job Great Gardens!
I was disappointed to see this small plant arrive with dark brown tips on leaves.
This has not changed. There are no leaves that are plain green. I can only hope that when spring comes after our very mild winters that something green appears on the bare stems.
Hello! As mentioned on our website, we do ship young plants. However, we do apologize that you received a plant that wasn't in excellent condition. While we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors, like shipping and handling, are outside our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen. Rest assured, we have a guarantee on all our plants. Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2023! Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
I've gotten 2 Mr. Poppins and female berry bushes. The first Mr. Poppins died and also 3 females. I ordered another Mr. Poppins and 3 females again. The females are doing great, but Mr. Poppins didn't look very good when I got it. He's not doing very well. Very sad 😔
Hello! We apologize that you received plants that are not up to our standards. As we try our best to provide exceptional service, some factors like shipping and handling are outside of our control, and issues like this can sometimes happen.
Please send your photos to [email protected], making sure to include your name and order number. Rest assured, we do offer a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants.
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee
Happy Gardening!
Great Garden plants was very prompt in shipping my order. It arrived in great shape with protective packaging. After watering for a few days it looked very healthy and is doing well in the ground. Thanks you! Donna Jago Western MA
The first few days I had deer munching on them. So I sprayed them, and now they're doing fine.
For Berry Heavy Winterberry Holly is settling in well, looking fresh and happy in its new home. I’m looking forward to Spring and new growth and the arrival of berries.
Despite FEdEx doing it's best to kill this one off (4 days on the truck and arriving with half the leaves dropped), she's made an amazing recovery and is growing very well.
Great Garden Plants does a wonderful job of packing the plants for shipping, but unfortunately the shipping company did not deliver when promised - over a weekend with 90 degree temperatures. But, as I said, she rallied and looking quite good.
Very happy with the plants, growing well. I really like your packaging, the plants come intact and healthy. Will definitely buy again when I need plants. Thank you
Growing nicely! Can't wait to see it full grown along with all of the others!!
Do deer eat this plant?
Winterberry is considered to be deer resistant.
How close do the male and female holly Berry bushes need to be planted to ensure berries?
Mr. Poppins® Winterberry Holly needs to be planted within 50 feet of Berry Heavy® Winterberry Holly in to produce berries. You can find Mr. Poppins® Winterberry here:
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/collections/all/products/mr-poppins-winterberry-holly
Are this berries edible?
Berry Heavy® Winterberry Holly's berries aren't edible for humans, but wild birds eat them as part of a varied diet.
What is the lifespan of the winter berry Holly plants?
With proper planting and care, Berry Heavy® Winterberry Holly can live for years in your landscape.
I live in far western Kentucky. If I ordered three winter berry holly shrubs, when would they be delivered and is it still safe to plant in my zone?
We begin shipping plants at proper planting time in your area, which is determined by your USDA Hardiness Zone which you can find here: https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/shopping-by-zone
Fall is a great time for planting! The rule of thumb for fall planting is to get the plants in the ground at least 6 weeks before the first hard frost in your area. If you are not sure when your average first frost is, you can ask a local nursery. Here is a great blog for more information: https://blog.greatgardenplants.com/our-guide-for-fall-planting/