Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite'

A compact native Winterberry that brings winter to life.

Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) is a small to medium, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub native to the wetlands and woodland edges of the eastern United States. Where many plants fade into dormancy, this native holly becomes a beacon — a living ember along the winter pond’s edge. The female ‘Red Sprite’ cultivar is especially cherished for its heavy clusters of bright red berries that cling to bare stems through late fall and into the depths of winter, creating a vivid contrast against snow, moss, or muted bark.

This northern selection — sometimes called ‘Compacta’ or ‘Nana’ — is a compact, heavy-fruiting clone with glossy dark foliage and a dense, rounded habit reaching only 3 to 5 feet tall. Its restrained size makes it an excellent choice for smaller gardens, foundation plantings, or naturalized groupings in wet or acidic soil. It thrives in the kind of places where water lingers — bogs, rain gardens, streambanks — and yet adapts beautifully to well-drained beds with regular moisture.

For fruit set, pair with a suitable male pollinator such as Ilex verticillata ‘Raritan Chief’. The bloom times align perfectly, ensuring a generous winter display of berries that will feed birds long after the leaves have fallen.

Why We Love It

To borrow the quiet cadence of ecologist and poet Drew Lanham: this shrub belongs. It roots itself in the rhythms of place — feeding robins, cedar waxwings, and mockingbirds when the landscape is otherwise lean. It brightens gray days without pretense. And in its compact form, it tells the story of how abundance need not be large to be significant.