PHOTO DYarrow 6/12/02 Horticulture Director Jackie Fazio (left) and arborist Chris Roddick (center) confer with Landis arborist Fred Breglia in front of the National Champion Mountain Winterberry

PHOTO DYarrow 6/12/02 Landis arborist Fred Breglia with the National Champion Mountain Winterberry

The Mountain Winterberry, also called Mountain Holly or Largeleaf Holly, is a deciduous, spreading shrub or small tree with narrow crown and relatively large orange-red berries. Closely related to the Carolina Holly (Ilex ambigua), Mountain Winterberry is sometimes classed as a variety of that species, having larger leaves and fruit. No other holly has leaves over 4 inches long or fruits .5 inches in diameter. Mountain Winterberry should not be confused with Mountain-holly (Nemopathus mucronata), a shrub with non-toothed leaves.

The Mountain Winterberry is largely restricted to rich woodlands and mountain slopes from New York and Massachusetts through the southeast to Louisiana. It occurs from 5,500 feet in elevation, and grows in mixed forest beneath larger trees. Mountain Winterberry is occasionally grown for its bright scarlet berries, which persist on branches after leaves have fallen.

The Mountain Winterberry has small, white flowers produced in May to August, with fruits maturing in late fall. Fruits are important food for many birds, including bluebird, catbird, mockingbird, robin, and hermit thrush. They are eaten to a lesser extent by squirrels, raccoons and rodents. Whitetail deer browse the young branches and leaves, but this holly is not a preferred deer food.

This rather large Mountain Winterberry specimen is growing in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where it has achieved extraordinary size for its species. Although not growing in its natural habitat, this specimen has been carefully tended by Garden staff and attained unusual dimensions. And continues to grow well every year.

The Mountain Winterberry wood is white, hard and dense, but of no commercial value because of the small size of the trees.

Champion Trees and Ancient Forests — www.championtrees.org — updated: 7/14/2002