Winterberry vs Northern Bayberry - TreeTime.ca

Winterberry vs Northern Bayberry

Ilex verticillata

Myrica pensylvanica

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Winterberry
Northern Bayberry

Winterberry is a small shrub that produces large quantities of bright red berries that remain on the plant through the fall and into the winter. Adding this shrub to your yard will give it a unique splash of color and attract birds, especially after the leaves drop.

Note: although the foliage is attractive on its own, you need at least one male plant near your female plants or they won't produce berries.

Northern Bayberry makes an excellent hedge or feature shrub. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They produce blue-grey berries that have a wax coating on them that can be used to make candles or soaps.

In colder hardiness zones the leaves turn an attractive orange to red colour in the fall, making it a striking addition to your landscape.

Northern Bayberry is native to Nova Scotia and tolerates both drought and wet conditions. It is also a nitrogen fixer that tolerates poor soil conditions.

Winterberry Quick Facts

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes
Fall colour: bright orange to red
Berries: bright red, stays through winter
Berries: blue-gray
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: long
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium




Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.
Other Names: black alder, canada holly, coralberry, fever bush, michigan holly, winterberry holly
Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub