Grow Winterberry Holly 'Red Sprite' for bold fall-and-winter color on a compact shrub. Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite' is a female winterberry selected for abundant, showy red fruits that cling to bare stems after leaf drop, creating standout winter interest and valuable food for birds.

Give your plant organically rich, acidic soil that stays consistently moist; it tolerates wet sites once established, but dry soil can reduce fruit set. Plant in full sun for the heaviest berry display, but it will also perform in partial shade and can tolerate deep shade in many landscapes.

For reliable berries, you need a compatible male winterberry nearby to pollinate the flowers. Place a male pollinizer within about 50 feet so wind and insects can do their job in spring, then enjoy colorful fruit through fall and winter.

Expect a mature size around 24-36 inches tall with a similar spread, making it easy to tuck into foundation beds, mixed shrub borders, rain gardens, and naturalized plantings. Prune in late winter to early spring before new growth starts, and keep soil evenly moist through the first few seasons while roots establish.

Specifications

• Cold hardiness zone: 4-8 (-30 degrees F) - Contact your local extension to confirm hardiness if you are in a fringe zone (we cannot guarantee hardiness in fringe zones)
• Light: Full sun   Part sun   Shade
• Growth rate: Slow
• Mature height: 24-36"
• Spread: 24-36"
• Tolerant of: Deer, Wet Conditions, Salt
• Attracts: Birds
• Native to the U.S.: Yes

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