Ilex verticillata ‘Southern Gentleman’

Description

This deciduous shrub is a male pollinator for ‘Winter Red’, ‘Winter Gold’, ‘Capapon’, Shaver’, ‘Sparkleberry’ and other late female clones; suckers into colonies; requires moist to wet highly acidic soils, good for problem areas; excellent when massed

Southern Gentleman Winterberry is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

Southern Gentleman Winterberry has dark green deciduous foliage on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. The pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall colour.

Southern Gentleman Winterberry will grow to be about 7 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.