The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Nordic™ inkberry

Family: Aquifoliaceae (holly family)

Distribution: Species native to Coastal Plain of e. North America

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4

Life form: Evergreen shrub

Plant Patent Info.: PP6,962; 1 August, 1989

Comments: A compact evergreen shrub to around 4' tall and wide. Noted for superior retention of its lower branches. Foliage consists of simple, alternate leaves which are exceptionally lustrous and dark green year-round. Tiny yellow-white flowers open in the leaf axils (May) and, in the presence of a suitable male pollinator, are followed by blue-black fruit. Fruits, though hidden by the leaves, will persist well into winter. Plant in full sun in rich, moist, slightly acid soil.