Winterberry Holly (Trees and Shrubs of South Mountain Reservation)

Winterberry Holly

Ilex verticillata

Summary ⁶

Ilex verticillata, the winterberry, is a species of holly native to eastern North America in the United States and southeast Canada, from Newfoundland west to Ontario and Minnesota, and south to Alabama. Other names that have been used include black alder, Canada holly, coralberry, fever bush, Michigan holly, or winterberry holly.

Ilex verticillata is a shrub growing to 3–16 ft tall. It is one of a number of hollies which are deciduous, losing their leaves in the fall. In wet sites, it will spread to form a dense thicket, while in dry soil it remains a tight shrub. The leaves are glossy green, 1+3⁄8–3+1⁄2 in long, 5⁄8–1+3⁄8 in broad, with a serrated margin and an acute apex. The flowers are small, 0.20 inch in diameter, with five to eight white petals. The fruit is a globose red drupe 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) in diameter, which often persists on the branches long into the winter, giving the plant its English name.

The species occurs particularly in wetland habitats, but also on dry sand dunes and grassland. The berries are an important food resource for some species of bird, among them the American robin.

Fontes e Créditos

(c) anónimo, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY), https://eol.org/media/14070179
(c) Clayton D'Orsay, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Clayton D'Orsay
(c) niznoz, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/33602849@N00/4165524376
anónimo, sem restrições de direitos de autor conhecidas (domínio público), https://eol.org/media/14070180
(c) anónimo, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), https://eol.org/media/8816830
Adaptado por Tom Pollard de uma obra de (c) Wikipedia, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex_verticillata

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