The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: yellow-fruit common winterberry

Family: Aquifoliaceae (holly family)

Synonym: Ilex verticillata 'Chrysocarpa'

Distribution: Species native to e. North America

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4

Life form: Deciduous shrub/Subshrub

Comments: A natural occurring yellow-fruited form, habit is typical of the species forming an upright, arching deciduous shrub 10' tall. Leaves open medium glossy green, and are lightly serrated along the margins. Flowers open in mid-May as slightly fragrant, yellow-white clusters in the leaf axils. Fruits ripen bright yellow and persist into early winter. A rare plant in the trade. Requires a male pollinator to ensure fruit production.