Legend says that during the dark days around the winter solstice, ancient cultures gathered the evergreen leaves of holly with its red berries to add lightness to their homes.
Celtic folklore speaks of twin brothers, the Holly King and the Oak King. The Oak King reigned during the summer solstice. The Holly King, who wore fresh green leaves and berries upon his head, reigned during the winter solstice.
One native Illinois holly that holds its green leaves throughout winter as their fruits ripen, can only be found in the extreme southern section. And it’s not even common there.
But a holly tree bearing red fruits in winter grows here if you know where to look. It’s called the winterberry holly, and its bright red fruits add color to a dismal, gray December day. Winterberry is native to eastern North America as far south as Alabama. But its stronghold in Illinois is in the north, where it grows in bogs.
Few bogs, remnants of the ice age, remain in Illinois. One of them, the Volo Bog State Natural Area in Ingleside, has winterberry trees, which lose their green leaves in fall but retain bright red berries through most of winter, as long as they don’t all get eaten by wild birds and other animals. Winterberry holly trees prefer moist soil in a partly sunny location and can withstand acidic soils, characteristic of bogs.
At Volo Bog, the only remaining quaking bog in the state with open water, winterberry shrubs take their place among other plants adapted to the acidic conditions. The outermost part of the bog contains cattails. Closer to the open water, winterberry holly grows, along with tamaracks, sedges, ferns and sphagnum moss. Another bog plant, the leatherleaf, holds its red leaves in winter, adding another sheen of color to the winter scene.
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Hiking here in winter on a cold snowy day makes me feel as if I’ve taken a step back in time to the ice age. And if I’m lucky, I’ll find some birds partaking in a winter feast of fruits hanging from the winterberry holly.
You might see American robins, cedar waxwings or even eastern bluebirds eating the fruits. Some robins and bluebirds remain in Illinois year-round if they can find enough crops of fruit-bearing shrubs. You’ll also find these birds in at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, where many winterberries are planted. Robins, waxwings and other birds also get nutrition from crab apples and other trees that maintain berries in the cold months.
Most holly trees are found in tropical and temperate regions in the world, and in the U.S., only about 15, including the winterberry, are native. Another species of holly called the swamp holly grows in river valleys including along the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois rivers in our state. A rare species, the mountain holly, grows at Starved Rock State Park.
Winterberry is the hardiest, and gardeners grow it in their yards. They amend the soil with pine bark to add acid. They also make sure to plant one male winterberry shrub for about every 10 female shrubs. You won’t get any berries if you have all female plants.
Years ago, my sister learned that lesson when she planted a group of winterberries, none of which bore fruit in winter. She learned she needed a male winterberry, planted one next to the females, and got copious fruit in ensuing years.
The best way to tell the difference between a male and female winterberry is by examining the flowers in June. The male flowers are in clusters of seven to nine; the female flowers are larger and in clusters of three.
Though it’s lovely to grow winterberry shrubs in your garden, it’s even lovelier, in my opinion, to take a walk at Volo Bog in winter to see these plants growing in their natural habitat. There’s a quiet peacefulness walking along the boardwalk in winter. When there’s snow, the white fluff on the shrub’s bark makes a complementary backdrop highlighting the crimson-colored fruits. It’s like Rudolph’s red nose in the middle of winter beckoning you to another dimension.
Sheryl DeVore has worked as a full-time and freelance reporter, editor and photographer for the baiduhai and its subsidiaries. She’s the author of several books on nature and the environment. Send story ideas and thoughts to [email protected].