ink berry holly - Gardening
Inkberry holly is a slow-growing broadleaf evergreen shrub with a rounded-to-upright growth habit. It is easy to grow and offers good winter color. The name "inkberry" is a clear reference to the dark fruits produced by the shrub, as is the plant's secondary common name, "gallberry." Inkberry is a woody, multi-branched, broadleaf evergreen shrub in the holly family (Aquifoliaceae).
Understanding the Context
It is native to the SE USA. The species epithet means “smooth” in Latin, a description of the plant’s leaf surface. Inkberry prefers a site in full sun to partial shade and clay or sandy acidic soils with good drainage. Inkberry naturally grows in moist, sunny spots like wetlands and streambanks.
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It pairs beautifully with other natives that enjoy similar conditions, such as winterberry holly, sweetspire, and red twig dogwood. Inkberry holly, Ilex glabra, aka gallberry, is an evergreen shrub that grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 11. Species plants achieve a mature stature of five to eight feet tall and wide. Plant Strongbox ® inkberry holly instead. This native evergreen naturally grows as a broadly rounded mound, and keeps its leaves all the way to the ground for the lush, dense look you love.
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It can be pruned or shaped as you desire, or left to attain its neat natural shape. A member of the holly family (Aquifoliaceae), Inkberry is one of the most versatile and wildlife-valuable native shrubs available for the Mid-Atlantic landscape, thriving in everything from wet swales to the dappled shade beneath mature trees. During dormancy, plants go inactive to conserve energy for the next growing season. For those seeking the refined look of boxwood with the added benefits of a native, disease-resistant plant, Strongbox® Inkberry Holly is the answer. Inkberry is a type of holly bush that is found wild in many southern bogs and damp woodlands. Its round, dense shape forms a thick hedge when it's grown in a row.
Inkberry holly varieties vary from thick 4 foot (1 m.) versions to the almost tree-like 8 foot (2 m.) tall giants. Dried and roasted inkberry leaves were first used by Native Americans to brew a black tea-like drink, hence the sometimes used common name of Appalachian tea for this shrub. Ilex glabra, or Inkberry. Many people think it resembles the non-native boxwood.