Native Plant of the Week - Inkberry

Desperately seeking an evergreen shrub. Must be short (3-5' tall) and attractive. Reliable and tolerant of DC summers. Looks good all year long.

At times, looking for a particular shrub for your garden can sound like a personal ad! Luckily, we've found a perfect match with this week's Native Plant of the Week - Ilex glabra, Inkberry. Inkberry is an evergreen shrub, 5-8' in height (species), slow growing and can be planted in full sun to part-shade in average to wet soils. Inkberries are hollies, so they are dioecious (separate male and female plants). A male plant is needed for the the female to produce the fruits. The small, black fruits are produced September - March and are consumed by song birds and small mammals. For a tidy appearance, prune annually in early spring, just before new growth begins. Inkberries do not experience serious insect or disease problems - leaf spot is an occasional problem. There are several short cultivars available: 'Compacta' - 3-4' in height, 4-6' width; 'Shamrock' - 3-4' in height and width and 'Chamzin' - 3-4' in height and width. The cultivars have better form; more compact and less leggy than the straight species.

Inkberry is quite versatile. It can be placed in shade or sun, sandy dry spots or moist wet spots. Inkberries do quite well in urban conditions, tolerating air pollution and hot, humid summers. It is also said to be deer resistant! Inkberries are a great native substitute for boxwoods - use a hedge (shear it for something more formal and tidy) or let it go and use as an informal hedge. Inkberries can be used in rain gardens, providing that year round interest after perennials have gone dormant for winter. Place Inkberries at the back of a planting bed and pair with some lower perennials and grasses for a nice pop of color against the rich green backdrop.

So have you been looking for native evergreen shrub? Inkberry may be the one you've been looking for all along!