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The Deciduous Holly Called Winterberry

One holly that is deciduous is Ilex verticillata, also known as winterberry, and when it drops its leaves in the fall, large clusters of bright red berries are easily visible. Its berry display is usually much more showy that that of most evergreen hollies where the number and brightness of the berries is often masked by the leaves.

Other shrub genera that feature both deciduous and evergreen species are viburnum, rhododendron, azalea and barberry.

If you have the space, you may like to be creative with a large planting of both deciduous and evergreen shrubs that bloom at different times and create year-round interest.

Remember that hollies need both male and female plants for pollination. The male Ilex verticillata ‘Jim Dandy' likes moist soil and grows 3 to 6 feet and becomes 4 to 5 feet wide in sun to part shade. It is hardy to zone 4 and combines well with the female ‘Red Sprite'. These and other species of deciduous hollies live up to their common name of winterberry and will add welcome drifts of color to your winter garden.

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