inkberry
Ilex glabra
USDA zones4 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size5 to 8 feet tall5 to 8 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Greenish-white
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, clay
- Soil pH
- Acidic (pH<6.8)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Inkberry (Ilex glabra) is a shrub for hedges, privacy screens, and rain gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and average to wet, sandy or clay soil. Glossy evergreen leaves lack spines, and you need both a male and a female plant to get berries. It sits low on the menu for rabbits. Bees, butterflies, and birds visit it.
Pairs well with Swamp milkweed, Switchgrass, and Chokeberry.
Native range
Eastern North America.