Picture by: Shaun C. Williams on Flickr
Plant of the Week: Inkberry Holly
Inkberry Hollies are one of the most common hollies around. As a broadleaf evergreen, these plants are great for foundation plantings. These are also called Gallberry Holly. In olden times the berries of this plant were used to create black ink.
While Inkberry Hollies are slow growing, they are great for creating a mass garden or a border to your property. If you are looking for berries on this plant, you will need a male and female. However you don’t have to get a 1:1 ratio. One male will be able to pollinate 9-10 females within 400 ft away.
How to care for Inkberry Holly:
Inkberries prefer full sun to part shade in rich consistently moist and acidic soil. And while birds may enjoy the berries during the winter, deer do not like this plant.
Here are some pruning tips:
Minimal pruning is needed for this. If you decide to prune an Inkberry, it should be done in the early spring before new growth happens. You can also prune suckers in order to control the spread of Inkberry.
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(781) 322-0006 — 110 Eames Street Wilmington, MA 01887
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