Scientific Name:
Ilex glabra
cvs.
Pronunciation:
EYE-lecks GLAY-bruh
Common Name:
inkberry
Family Name:
Aquifoliaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Small, evergreen shrub; leaves alternate, elliptic to obovate with 4 small marginal teeth towards the apex and one at the tip, up to 4cm long; flowers small, wihte, with (5-)6-7(-8) petals; fruit black, berry-like, persistent, up to 1cm round.
Habit:
Dense, Stiffly upright, Twiggy
Form:
Oval - horizontal, Round
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
1.0 - 1.5m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Canada - eastern, U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract birds, Container planting, Erosion control, Filler, Group or mass planting, Hedge row, Perennial border, Screening, Sheared hedge, Waterside planting, Wetland - bogs, Winter interest
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblanceolate, Obovate
Apices:
Acute, Mucronate, Obtuse
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Serrulate
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
6
Corolla Shape:
Cruciform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, White
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
Most cultivars are female
Fruit Type:
Drupe
Fruit Colour:
Black
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy, Persistent, Requires a male plant within pollinating distance to form fruit: 4 - 6 seeds each with own endocarp (pyrenes)
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Brown
Organ Modifications:
Runners (or stolons)
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings, Hardwood cuttings, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
