Native Plants

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Monday - June 09, 2008

From: Shaker Heights, OH
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Pollinators
Title: Pollinator plants for Ilex verticillata (winterberry)
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

How close do a male and female common winterberry need to be to produce berries. We bought a male and female last year and attracted cedar wax wings. Amazing show. We just bought two more females and would like to plant them on the other side of the yard-about 80 feet away from the only male. Will that work? Thank you.

ANSWER:

From this Floridata website on Ilex verticillata (common winterberry) you will learn that you need at least one male plant for every 10-20 females; however, the pollinator plants can only be up to 50 feet away. Some suggestions: plant the females nearer the lone male, experiment and see if 80 feet is too far, or buy another male and plant it in the background but near the 2 new females. Your cedar waxwings will thank you.

From the Image Gallery

Common winterberry
Ilex verticillata