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Tag: holly

Inkberry (Ilex glabra)

Inkberry (Ilex glabra)

With the recent snow, the glossy evergreen leaves of inkberry shrubs (Ilex glabra) are hard to miss against the white background. Inkberry leaves are alternate, simple, and elongate, with smooth edges except for one marginal tooth at either side of the apex of the leaf, resulting in a 3-pointed end. The shrubs average 1 to 2 meters tall, and sprout from thick, tuberous underground runners (stolons), which allow inkberry to spread vegetatively and form fairly dense colonies. Inkberry is native…

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Winterberry and other winter berries

Winterberry and other winter berries

Although most people are probably more familiar with berries that ripen in mid-summer, such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, many plants not only produce berries in the late fall, but they persist through winter.  Like the high bush cranberries described in a recent post, these winter berry-producing plants provide a welcome splash of color to the landscape. Common Winterberry One of these, aptly named common winterberry (Ilex verticillata) produces round red berries about a quarter inch in diameter, each with a…

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