Flowers
-creamy-white and small, dioecious, occuring in early to mid-June in the leaf axils from the new season's growth, and while noticeable up-close, they are ornamentally insignificant
-like Blue Hollies, Winterberry male plants need to be carefully matched with female plants; in many cases, the male plant is simply labelled "early" or "late" in reference to its relative bloom time |
Fruit
-green ellipsoid immature berries emerge on female shrubs in early summer, being sessile on the stems, becoming rounded, and maturing to attractive red berries in late Aug. to early Sept., forming an outstanding contrast in late summer and early autumn against the dark green foliage
-berries persist well into winter (if not eaten by wildlife) and are very showy due to their red coloration on the bare stems, although they will darken in color as the winter progresses |
Twig
-purplish-brown on young stems in winter, becoming gray with age
-plants will become leggy, but at the same time will sucker from their surrounding roots, forming broad colonies, especially if sited in permanently moist to wet soils in a group or mass planting |