PlantFiles: Inkberry, Gallberry
Ilex glabra 'Shamrock'

Beautiful and very robust.
Deer won't touch it year round.
Can suffer from winter sun scald.

The stems of the inkberry are very brittle. I will probably have to replace two of the three I planted last year as they were badly damaged by the weight of melting snow. The snow had been almost two feet of powder snow when it fell but we had a warm spell which caused it to melt quickly and become very heavy. That heaviness practically destroyed the two shrubs not protected by a bay window. In the future, I will have to construct something to keep snow off of the inkberries. I have not had any snow damage with any of the other dozen or so Ilex shrubs I have -- just Ilex glabra.

These small trees grow up to 15 ft, and are very common in SC wetlands. Although they break easily in gusty winds, they regrow quickly, and provide profuse delicate and fragrant flowers in early spring.

A nice alternative to boxwoods, less susceptible to winterburn in 5b/6a Chicago, also a deeper green color.

After winter temperatures of -20 degrees Farenheit and wind chills -30 to -40, our four inkberry bushes were very, very slow to recover. As temperatures warmed in March and April, all the leaves turned brown and fell off. It wasn't until about mid June that new growth began to appear, but all four now seem to be rapidly recovering. I would like to give this plant a positive rating, but I was pretty discouraged in the spring when they were brown and then barren while everything else was greening up and blooming. They are very attractive shrubs and an otherwise great alternative to yews and other overused plants. In less severe climates, they should remain evergreen, from what I understand.

Better known as gallberry in Florida, it is well know as a medicinal plant. Its common name is given for the very bitter taste of the ripe black berries.

This attractive plant grows in flatwoods and boggy areas, and would be a nice addition to a natural landscape.

Found this lovely shrub at Callaway Gardens. It is great as a hedge and/or in woody settings, as long as the soil is kept moist consistently, like in a stream area. Native to the U.S. Southeast.