Nordic Inkberry Holly

Nordic Inkberry is one of the easiest ways to get true year-round green out of a native shrub. It's a compact, broadleaf EVERGREEN holly with glossy dark-green foliage that holds through winter, and it naturally settles into a tidy, rounded form without much fussing. That combination makes it a workhorse for low hedges and foundation plantings, and unlike a lot of shrubs it actually tolerates wet, soggy spots. The tradeoff is honest: it wants decent, consistent moisture and reasonably even light to stay full and dense, so it isn't the plant for a hot, dry, forgotten corner.

Buy This If

• You want a native evergreen that stays green all winter
• You have a damp or low spot that drowns other shrubs
• You want a neat, low hedge without constant shearing

Skip This If

• Your site is hot, dry, and rarely watered
• You need a tall privacy screen fast
• Your soil runs very alkaline

PGNE Report Card

Our Experience

We reach for Nordic Inkberry on moist, sunny-to-part-shade beds where a client wants year-round green structure but doesn't want a needled conifer. It gives you that evergreen backbone with a softer, broadleaf look, and it holds a tidy shape without a lot of babysitting. As long as the soil doesn't dry out hard, it's one of the more dependable native evergreens we plant.

Plant Facts

Customers Usually Ask

Is it evergreen?

Yes. Nordic is a broadleaf evergreen, so it holds its green foliage right through winter rather than dropping leaves.

Does it need a male pollinator for berries?

Nordic is actually a male selection used mainly for foliage and hedging, so there are no berries to speak of. Plant it for structure and year-round green, not fruit.

Will deer eat it?

Rarely. Deer tend to leave inkberry alone, which is part of why we like it for exposed beds.