Name:  Ilex vertilcillata ‘Winter Gold’  aka golden winterberry

Type of Plant: A large, deciduous shrub, hardy in Zones 3-9, that has peach to orange berries in fall and early winter.

Why I Love this Plant:  There’s so much to love about this plant! First of all is the bushy, vase like shape. This variety grows to be 5 to 8 feet tall and wide, so it’s perfect to include in a mixed-shrub border and privacy screens.

Secondly, although it’s called winter gold, the berries are more peach and orange. Once the fruit has frozen and thawed a few times the birds descend on the plant and devour the berries.

Since this is a deciduous holly, it drops it’s leaves in early December, making the berries all the more visible and ornamental.

Finally, this plant loves moisture, so it’s a good choice for wet areas, and the edges of rain gardens.

A Word to the Wise:  Plant Winter Gold where it can grow large – don’t try to keep it small!

What a lovely shaped shrub! Full and green with fine, non-prickly leaves all summer and peach berries in the fall. This plant grows on the edge of my rain garden. Although the soil isn’t constantly wet there, it does just fine with a deep soaking every ten days to two weeks in times of drought. And if rainy weather, it’s even happier!

Since the foliage falls off in winter, it makes it easy to appreciate the peach/orange color of the berries.

The berry color is lighter in November than in December when it’s colder. I’d call it “Winter Peach”

After the leaves fall and the temperatures are colder, the berries turn a brighter orange color.