| Common Name: |
Shamrock Inkberry |
| Scientific Name: |
Ilex glabra 'Shamrock' |
| Other Name(s): |
Aka Gallberry |
| Category: |
Shrub |
| Habit: |
Evergreen |
| Bloom Color: |
Greenish white flowers (male in cymes and female in cymes or single) |
| Bloom Size: |
Relatively inconspicuous |
| Bloom Season: |
Spring |
| Fruit Description: |
Inkberries are dioecious (separate male and female plants). Female plants need a male pollinator in order to produce the berry-like drupes that are characteristic of the species and cultivar. If pollinated, female flowers give way to pea-sized, jet black, berry-like drupes (inkberries to 3/8 in. diameter) which mature in early fall and persist throughout winter to early spring unless consumed by local bird populations |
| Foliage Description: |
Spineless, flat, ovate to elliptic, glossy, dark green leaves (to 1.5 in. long) have smooth margins with several marginal teeth near the apex. Leaves usually remain attractive in winter unless temperatures dip well below zero. |
| Height of Plant: |
3-4 ft. |
| Spread of Plant: |
3-4 ft. |
| Hardiness: |
USDA Zones 4 - 9 |
| Light Requirements: |
Full sun to part shade |
| Water Usage: |
Medium to wet |
| Soil Type: |
Most commonly found in sandy woods and peripheries of swamps and bogs |
| Soil pH: |
Avoid neutral to alkaline soils |
| Native Range: |
Native to the coastal plain from Nova Scotia to Florida to Louisiana |
| Propagation: |
Stolons and runners |
| Maintenance: |
Low |
| Photographer: |
Jon Wooten |
| Location: |
Native Plant Garden |