Rain Garden Plants: Winterberry

Winterberry is a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub, meaning it drops its leaves in the fall. Its common name refers to the bright red berries that mature in fall and persist in winter months. It is dioecious, meaning there are male and female flowers on different plants. Only the female plant produces berries if it is properly cross-pollinated. Berries are attractive to birds and mammals. Clusters of small, white flowers are relatively inconspicuous, blooming in early to mid-summer. Dark green leaves are elliptical in shape and serrated, turning yellow in fall. It is tolerant of heat, drought, fire, and deer browse. It is a host plant for many moths, including the pawpaw sphinx moth. It is slow-growing and requires little maintenance.

• Height: 3 to 12 feet
• Bloom color: Green, white
• Bloom time: June-July
• Hardiness zone: 3 to 9
• Salt tolerance: Moderate tolerance salt spray
• Spreading habit: Root suckers to form large thickets or colonies

Site Conditions

• Sun: Sun/partial shade
• Soil: Acidic, organic loams. Boggy and swampy conditions
• Hydrologic zones: Moist/dry

Sources

University of Wisconsin Extension 

Missouri Botanical Garden 

University of Maryland Extension

Prepared by Jodi Sulpizio, Constance Schmotzer, and Jessica Chou. Peer reviewed by Scott Sjolander and Sandra Feather. Finalized by Jodi Sulpizio.