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Ilex verticillata Magical® Winter Jewel

Bright red fruits on a compact plant

You’re going to love this new, compact winterberry holly! During the coldest days of winter, when most shrubs and trees are at rest, Magical® Winter Jewel will add color to your outdoor space with its brilliant display of huge red fruits. A vase-shaped variety, only reaching 3-4’ in height, Magical® Winter Jewel is the ideal size for smaller gardens and mixed plantings. In the fall, as the weather cools, leaves drop and plump berries turn a vibrant red—persisting all winter for birds to feast on. Long, straight stems, laden in fruit can be cut for flower arrangements, filling your living spaces both inside and out with color.

Notes: cuts can be used dry—they’ll keep indoors for several weeks—no need to keep them in water. Tolerant of many soil types, this plant thrives in wet areas, providing nesting opportunities and forage for birds. Magical® Winter Jewel is a female holly. Winterberries need one male pollinator for 10 females to provide adequate pollination. Use ‘Southern Gentleman’ as the male.

Who Am I?

  • Common Name:
    Magical®️ Winter Jewel winterberry holly
  • Botanical Name:
    Ilex verticillata ‘Kolmwint’
  • Type:
    Shrub
  • U.S. Native:
    YES

Cultural Details

TYPE

Shrub

U.S. NATIVE

YES
  • Light:
    Full sun to part shade
  • Soil:
    Average garden soil
  • Moisture:
    Moist, but well drained
  • Hardiness Zone
    4-9
  • Bloom Time:
    Spring
  • Bloom Color:
    White
  • Fruit Time
    Fall to winter
  • Fruit Color
    Red
  • Size:
    3-4' tall by 4' wide
  • Diseases & Pests:
    None known

What Makes Me Special?

A vase-shaped variety, only reaching 3-4’ in height, Magical® Winter Jewel is the ideal size for smaller gardens and mixed plantings. In the fall, long straight stems, laden in vibrant red fruit can be cut for flower arrangements, filling your living spaces both inside and out with color.

Landscape Use

Cut flowers, mixed plantings, poor soils, wet areas, woodland gardens

Pruning

Prune winterberry hollies in late winter to encourage more fruit production. To have maximum fruit each year, plant several plants and cut half of them one year and the rest the nest.

Propagation

Cuttings

Who Am I?

  • Common Name:
    Magical®️ Winter Jewel winterberry holly
  • Botanical Name:
    Ilex verticillata ‘Kolmwint’
  • Type:
    Shrub
  • U.S. Native:
    YES

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