happy holly days
winterberry, is a species of holly native to eastern north america. minnesota is on the western edge of it’s native zone. so i don’t see a lot of of around here. but now that it has been brought to my attention…i think i will look into plating some in my yard. it’s an important food source for robins. and it likes wetlands, which i have an abundance of along the lakeshore. by the way, did you see that the usda recently re-zoned the u.s.? and the twin cities are now a zone 5! it’s probably a little bit metropolitan heat bubble, and a little bit of global warming. has your zone been reclassified? i’d be curious to know what you are observing, and how you are feeling about it.
winterberries (Ilex verticillata)
Love these winter berry holly stems. Because they are deciduous, you can really see those gorgeous, brilliant red berries. If you decide to try them, make sure you also get a male plant (or you’ll have no berries!). Shrubs are a costly experiment, but I say “go for it”.
Next year will be the real test for trying plants based on my zone map change from 6b to 7a (Western Maryland). I’ll be letting go of some perennials that are struggling with increased heat and drought conditions. It’ll be interesting to see what shows up in the garden centers next year considering the zone changes. I’ll be trying some new plants, for sure, and I’m looking much closer at xeric plants, honestly. Water is expensive!