American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Big lacy flower heads in summer give way to purple-black berries for both birds and your kitchen.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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- Plant guide
- Inkberry Holly
Inconspicuous
Evergreen shrub
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
A native evergreen alternative to boxwood that takes wet feet and feeds bees and birds.
the Northeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Southeast
Growing Inkberry Holly
The best native broadleaf evergreen for clipped hedges in the East. Female plants carry black berries that birds eat through winter. It’s evergreen, salt-tolerant, and easy to grow.
Where it grows
Inkberry Holly is native to the Northeast. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arkansas · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland and 18 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.
Regional Garden shows Inkberry Holly on 28 state pages.
Good for
Sourcing
Where to buy Inkberry Holly
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.
Plant it with
Companions & kin.
Natives that share Inkberry Holly’s range and conditions.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A bulletproof hedge shrub with white spring flowers, blue fall berries, and burgundy autumn leaves.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Spherical white 'pincushion' flowers over standing water, swarmed by butterflies and bees.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A low, spreading shrub that blankets dry banks and blazes scarlet and orange in fall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr