Ilex glabra (Inkberry)

Inkberry (Ilex glabra)

Height, Spread: 5-10 ft, 5-8 ft

Water/Soil: Moist-occasionally wet, well-drained, clay, sand, acidic soil 

Light: Full sun-part shade

Bloom: Spring-summer, insignificant green or white flowers

Native Range: Eastern North America

Qualities: Wildlife resource, Attractive to pollinators, Host plant, 

Notes: Perennial shrub commonly found near wetlands in the wild. It is dioecious meaning you need a male and a female plant to produce berries. Its flowers attract pollinators in the spring and support a specialized native bee, Colletes banksi. It is a host plant for Henry's Elfin Butterfly (Callophrys henrici) and mammals and birds enjoy its fruits and leaves. Best used as a hedge, privacy screen, or accent shrub in your garden.