Common Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Found in bogs, pocosins, swampy forests. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you
97
Keystone
Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- About 10 feet
- Spread
- 6–12 feet
- Light
- Full to part sun
- Soil moisture
- Average to wet
Space about 9 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
Ingestion caution. Extension reports ingestion toxicity in the fruits and leaves. Plant caution source
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- April to June
- Fruiting season
- September to November
JFMAMJJASOND
Recorded in 97 Virginia counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 2
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 164 animals.
- Common RavenCorvus corax
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asio
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysoptera
- Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus
- Hairy WoodpeckerPicoides villosus
- Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus
- Hooded WarblerWilsonia citrina
- Northern ParulaParula americana
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
- Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus
- Pine SiskinCarduelis pinus
- Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus
- Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus
- Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum
- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens
- American KestrelFalco sparverius
- American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
52CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA
Genus host records with ranges including VA · Ilex
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Callophrys henriciHenry's Elfin
- Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
- Celastrina idellaHolly Azure, American Holly Azure
- Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
Show all 52
- Cepphis armatariaScallop Moth
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Dolba hyloeusPawpaw Sphinx
- Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
- Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
- Episemasia solitariaSolitary Ruddy
- Episimus tyriusMaple Tip Borer
- Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
- Haematopis gratariaChickweed Geometer
- Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Ilexia intractataBlack-Dotted Ruddy, Holly Looper
- Larisa subsolanaDark-Based Larisa
- Lascoria ambigualisAmbiguous Moth, Ambiguous Litter Moth
- Lithophane viridipallensPale Green Pinion
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Manduca rusticaRustic Sphinx
- Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
- Metaxaglaea violaceaHolly Sallow
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia alurinaGray Quaker
- Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
- Papilio palamedesPalamedes Swallowtail
- Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
- Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
- Rhopobota dietzianaWinterberry Moth
- Rhopobota naevanaBlackheaded Fireworm, Holly Bud Moth, Holly Tortrix
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Synanthedon kathyaeHolly Clearwing Borer
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Rhopobota finitimana
35BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Ilex
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
3Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Ilex
- Colletes banksi
- Colletes brimleyi
- Perdita floridensis
11BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Ilex
- Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
- Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Catharus fuscescensVeery
- Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
- Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
- Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Show all 11
- Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Aquifoliaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Soil pH
- Acidic
- Flower color
- White
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Growth habit
- Several stems
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- September
- Fruit ends
- November
Flowering timing. Species profile reports April–June; timing varies with location and year. Source
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “April to June” · NC State Extension · reviewed species facts
- Flower color · “White” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox, USDA PLANTS differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “November” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox, USDA PLANTS differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3–9” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Height · “About 10 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Light · “Full to part sun” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
- Soil · “wet to medium” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
- Soil pH · “Acidic” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Spread · “6–12 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Also known as
Winterberry
Conservation status
| Virginia rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| VA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Sources
- Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications