What’s your favourite colour?
This time of year? Radiant red! By December, I’ve lost my shiny green leaves, so my clusters of berries are very festive. I’m a holly and I’m jolly!
Winterberry is a holly? I didn’t know hollies lost their leaves.
Some do, some don’t. There are over 500 species of holly from all over the world. You might be thinking of the European holly, the one with spiked leaves often used in holiday decorations. I’m from this side of the pond—lived here forever! And, yes, I lose my leaves in winter.
Do you have other names?
My formal name is Ilex verticillata, which means hollies with whorls. How fun is that? The whorls refer to the arrangement of flowers—and later berries—around my stems. I’m also known as Canada holly and fever bush.
Does “fever bush” relate to one of your superpowers?
Good guess! The bark and leaves of Winterberry have long been used to treat fever and various gastrointestinal upsets. But be careful of my berries. Botanically speaking, my berries are drupes—fruits with a woody stone in the middle. Think olive, mango, cherry, or plum. My drupes appear only on female Winterberry plants and are poisonous to humans.
Thanks for the warning. But wait, there are female and male Winterberries?
I’m a dioecious plant. That means some Winterberry bushes have flowers that produce pollen and others have flowers that produce fruit. It takes two different plants, a male and a female, to create Winterberries. This is quite rare! Most flowering plants can self-pollinate. The existence of dioecious plants has baffled scientists for a long time!
Interesting! Do you have a best friend?
All of the birds who stay for winter are my friends. Winterberries might be poisonous to humans but they are a scrumptious treat—and an important food source—for cardinals, chickadees, and blue jays.
One wish?
Enjoy the holiday season! Remember to appreciate all of the natural “decorations” outside. There are lots of cheerful berries and fruits to brighten your winter.
Each month, Wild Talk columnist Katherine Barrett interviews a local plant while printmaker Vanessa McKiel captures their portrait. The “Wild Talk” chapbook is available at wildflowerpress@proton.me
