Winterberry in quantity for wetland mitigation, buffer and rain-garden work — 314 plants on the ground in Newton, New Hampshire.
Ilex verticillata is one of the most frequently specified shrubs in New England wetland replication and buffer restoration work, and it is the species we hold in the deepest quantity. 314 plants across four female varieties and one male, in #2, #3 and 12" above-ground fabric bag sizes. Pickup at the nursery in Newton, New Hampshire, and delivery across New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.
Ilex verticillata carries a FACW rating — "usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands" — on the 2022 National Wetland Plant List for the Northcentral and Northeast (NCNE) region, which is the list the Army Corps, state agencies and conservation commissions use for delineation and for planting plan review.
We source every wetland and buffer claim on this site to the NWPL indicator status for NCNE rather than to opinion, so the rating on our page is the same rating on the reviewer's. It is native to Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, so it satisfies a native-species condition in all six.
| Code | Meaning | Occurs in wetlands |
|---|---|---|
| OBL | Obligate wetland | Almost always |
| FACW | Facultative wetland — winterberry sits here | Usually |
| FAC | Facultative | Equally likely in or out |
| FACU | Facultative upland | Occasionally |
| UPL | Obligate upland | Almost never |
We stock named cultivars, not straight species. Everything listed below is a selected cultivar of Ilex verticillata. Plenty of buffer, rain-garden and shoreland plans accept cultivars without comment — but some permitted mitigation and replication plans specifically require straight species, and a few conservation commissions will reject a cultivar substitution at inspection. Read your plan before you order. If it calls for straight Ilex verticillata, tell us and we will say so plainly rather than sell you something that fails review.
Counts below are live. Winterberry is dioecious — female plants carry the fruit, and a compatible male has to be within pollinating distance for fruit to set at all. If the wildlife-value or food-source justification in your plan depends on fruit, the male is not optional.
| Variety | Sex | Size | Price | In stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berry Heavy® | Female | #2, 12–15" | $29.25 reg. $39 | 59 |
| Berry Heavy® | Female | #3, 12–18" | $51.75 reg. $69 | 103 |
| Berry Poppins® | Female | #2, 12–15" | $29.25 reg. $39 | 11 |
| Berry Poppins® | Female | #3, 12–18" | $51.75 reg. $69 | 70 |
| Winter Red | Female | 12" AGFB, 24–30"+ | $34.50 reg. $69 | 50 |
| Red Sprite | Female | 10" AGFB, 12–18" | $36.75 reg. $49 | 6 |
| Mr. Poppins® | Male | #2, 12–15" | $29.25 reg. $39 | 15 |
Winter Red at 24–30 inches for $34.50 is the largest winterberry on the lot and the cheapest per inch of plant — worth a look if your plan sets a minimum installed size.
Mr. Poppins® pollinates both Berry Heavy® and Berry Poppins®, and it overlaps in bloom with most mid-season winterberry. Red Sprite blooms earlier than the rest, so an early male is the safer pairing for it. One male covers a group of females planted within roughly 50 feet.
Call the nursery before you finalise quantities and we will tell you exactly what pairs with what, in your sizes, against what is on the ground that week.
Most planting plans call for a shrub mix rather than a monoculture, and reviewers generally prefer one. These carry restoration function and are in stock now.
| Species | Size | Price | In stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Fire® Red Twig Dogwood | #2, 12–15" | $29.25 | 38 |
| Bailey's Red Twig Dogwood | 10" AGFB, 12–18" | $46.00 | 43 |
| Sixteen Candles Summersweet | #3, 12–15" | $46.00 | 47 |
| Little Henry® Virginia Sweetspire | 10" AGFB, 12–18" | $44.25 | 24 |
| Kelsey Dogwood | #3, 15–18" | $46.00 | 28 |
| Low Scape Mound® Aronia | #2, 12–15" | $29.25 | 16 |
| Sensitive Fern | 1 gallon | $18.00 | 34 |
| American Royal Fern | 1 gallon | $18.00 | 30 |
Each product page carries its own wetland indicator status where our audit has reached that category, sourced the same way. Four collections are organised by function:
Winterberry is not deer resistant. Deer browse it, and young stems on a fresh planting are the most exposed thing on the site. On a permitted job with a survival requirement attached, budget for protection at installation rather than discovering the problem at the first monitoring visit. We would rather tell you that up front than have a mitigation planting fail its count.
| Botanical name | Ilex verticillata |
|---|---|
| Common name | Winterberry, common winterberry, black alder |
| Wetland indicator status | FACW (NCNE region, 2022 National Wetland Plant List) |
| Native | Yes — all six New England states |
| Mature height | 6–8 ft depending on variety |
| Mature width | 6–8 ft |
| Spacing | 3–5 ft on center for a mass planting |
| Hardiness zones | 3a – 9b |
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Moisture | Moist to wet |
| Habit | Upright, rounded, multi-stem, deciduous |
| Sexing | Dioecious — a compatible male is required for fruit |
| Deer | Browsed; protection recommended on permitted work |
FACW — facultative wetland — in the Northcentral and Northeast region of the 2022 National Wetland Plant List. That means it usually occurs in wetlands but occasionally turns up outside them, which is why it works across both the wetland and the upland side of a buffer planting.
Often, but not always. Buffer plantings, rain gardens and shoreland work under the NH Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act commonly accept cultivars. Permitted replication and mitigation plans under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act more often specify straight species, and some reviewers hold to it. Check the plan first — if it says Ilex verticillata with no cultivar name, assume straight species is what will be inspected.
For fruit, yes. Winterberry is dioecious. The female plants carry the berries and set nothing without a compatible male within about 50 feet. Mr. Poppins® pairs with Berry Heavy® and Berry Poppins®; Red Sprite blooms earlier and wants an early-season male.
It depends on what your plan specifies, but 3 to 5 feet on center is the usual range for a winterberry mass. At 4 feet on center a 100-foot run takes about 26 plants. Tell us the plan density and we will work the count with you.
Usually. There are 27 species in the wetland collection and 38 in the riparian buffer collection, in quantity across shrubs, trees and ferns. Send the plant schedule and we will tell you what we can cover from stock and what we cannot — including when the answer is that we cannot.
Yes, across New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine, up to 100 miles from Newton. Delivery is priced by zip code. Order pickup at the nursery runs Monday through Saturday.
No. Deer browse it. On a job with a survival or count requirement, plan for protection at installation.
From 12–15 inches in a #2 up to 24–30 inches and over for Winter Red in a 12-inch above-ground fabric bag. Sizes and live counts are in the table above.
We are in Newton, New Hampshire, on the Massachusetts line, and supply wetland, buffer and rain-garden plantings across southern New Hampshire, northeastern Massachusetts and southern Maine.
314 plants in stock across five varieties, from $29.25.
