Winterberry

Questions about winterberry

Does winterberry need sun or shade?

Winterberry grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and plenty of water. It copes with soil that stays wet.

What zones does winterberry grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

How far apart should winterberry be planted?

6½ ft (200 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 8 ft (250 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 8 ft (250 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many winterberry plants do I need?

Usually one. At 6½ ft (200 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 6½ ft apart: two plants for a 10 ft run.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is winterberry poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. The berries and leaves cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like winterberry?

These come closest to doing what winterberry does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Yellow twig dogwood: the same job in a bed; 20 in shorter, 8 in narrower.
• Golden fullmoon maple: the same job in a bed; 5 ft taller, 20 in wider.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat winterberry?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will winterberry spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by suckers into a wider clump. Remove the outer shoots to contain it.

What does winterberry look like in winter?

Winterberry drops its leaves and stands as bare branches: it is grown for the best winter berries and cut branches for winter arrangements. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.

Is winterberry good for bees and butterflies?

Winterberry is visited by pollinators, specialist bees, butterflies and songbirds.

It is a host plant: the caterpillars of henry's elfin feed on its leaves. A butterfly can only lay its eggs on its host plants, so these do more for it than any nectar flower.