Summary
Known for its lustrous, evergreen foliage and uniform habit when young, inkberry (Ilex glabra) is a quality landscape plant. Ranging from 4-8’ in height, this shrub prefers full to part sun and rich, acidic, and consistently moist soils. It will tolerate salt and heavy, wet clay soils. Small spring flowers give way to dark fall fruits on female plants. Fruits are ornamental and feed a variety of songbirds in the winter. Inkberry performs well in the garden as a foundation plant, back of border shrub and is an excellent evergreen in seasonally wet spots. In response to pruning it will form suckering colonies. The gentle, rounded outline complements red osier dogwood (Swida sericea), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), and swamp rose-mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos). Zones 4-9.
Compact cultivars such as Densa inkberry (Ilex glabra ‘Densa’), Compacta inkberry (Ilex glabra ‘Compacta’), and Shamrock inkberry (Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’) have a less open and leggy habit, and are not as prone to suckering. These characteristics make them suitable alternatives to nonnative boxwood (Buxus spp.) and privet (Ligustrum spp.) in more formal settings.
More Details
- Plant Type
shrub - Sun/Shade Conditions
full-to-partial-sun - Foliage Character
evergreen - Soil Moisture
average-to-wet - Flowering Period
late-spring - Soil PH
acidic - Flower Color
white - Summer Foliage Color
green - Fall Foliage Color
green - Other Common Names
Gallberry, Appalachian tea - Fruit/Seed Color
black
Additional Information
Floridata, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox , Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden