Inkberry

Inkberry: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense, rounded, evergreen shrub 1–1.5 m tall and wide, slowly spreading by suckers.

Leaves

Narrowly elliptic, 2–5 cm long, glossy dark green, without spines, with a few teeth at the tip; sometimes bronze in winter.

Flower

Small white to greenish flowers in June, inconspicuous but rich in nectar.

Fruit

Glossy black berries 5–8 mm across; only on female plants, they stay on the plant for a long time.

Roots

Fibrous, shallow root system with suckers; likes moist, acid soil.

Flowering: June · Plants: April–May and September–October · Pruning: March and June

Why grow it?

• Evergreen, fine foliage that gives interest all year, without spines.
• A good alternative to box for low hedges and edging, also because it is not attacked by box tree moth.
• Tolerates wet, acid soil where many other shrubs struggle.
• Grows in sun, part shade and shade and tolerates hard pruning.
• Bees visit the flowers in June; the berries stay on the plant for a long time and are eaten by birds.

Inkberry: where does it grow best?

• Sun, part shade or shade; in sun it stays denser and fuller, in shade it becomes looser.
• Acid to neutral sandy, loamy or peaty soil, rich in humus. On chalky soil it turns yellow.
• Normal to wet: it tolerates wet soil and a temporarily high water table, but dislikes drying out.
• Sheltered from drying winter wind; also suitable for low hedges, edging and large pots.
• For a low hedge plant 40–50 cm apart; as a free-standing shrub 1–1.5 m apart.

Light

Sun, partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or peat

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

1.5 m tall, 1.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Rhododendron: Likes the same acid, moist soil and part shade.
• Hydrangea: Flowers in summer above the low, green hedge.
• Ferns: Fresh underplanting in shade.
• Hosta: Large leaves next to the fine, glossy foliage.

Inkberry: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September–October.

1. Plant in April–May or September–October, when the soil is not frozen.
2. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide; mix compost or leaf mould into the soil.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and firm the soil well.
4. For a low hedge, plant 40–50 cm apart; for a free-standing shrub, 1–1.5 m apart.
5. Water well after planting and keep the soil moist for the first years.
6. Spread a 5 cm layer of mulch around the base; preferably leaf mould or bark, not chalky material.

Care

Watering

In the first year, weekly in dry weather; after that only in long dry spells. The plant tolerates wet better than drought.

Feeding

In spring, an organic fertiliser or compost for acid-loving plants. Not after July.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould or bark in spring keeps the soil cool, moist and acid.

Soil acidity

Keep the soil acid; if the leaves turn yellow on chalky soil, acid leaf mould and rainwater help.

Berries

For berries you need a female plant with a male plant nearby.

Tip: An evergreen holly without spines, a good alternative to box for low hedges. Tolerates wet, acid soil; prune in June. The berries are poisonous.

Inkberry: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and June.

When: In June for trimming into shape; in March for hard renewal pruning of old, bare shrubs.

How:

• Trim hedges and edging in June with hedge shears; the shrub tolerates hard pruning.
• To rejuvenate, cut an old, bare shrub back in March to 20–30 cm above the ground; it shoots again from the base.
• Remove dead or damaged branches back to healthy wood.
• Cut a hedge slightly tapered (wider at the bottom), so that the base also gets light and does not turn bare.

Caution: Do not prune after August: late shoots no longer ripen before winter and may be frosted.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings

In August–October: take 8–10 cm cuttings of semi-ripe wood, remove the lower leaves and insert in sandy, acid compost under plastic. Rooting takes several months.

Detaching suckers

In March–April, cut off rooted suckers at the edge of the shrub and plant them elsewhere. This is the easiest method.

Inkberry: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, down to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian winters.
• The leaves may turn bronze to purple in winter; this is normal and harmless.
• In a pot: stand it in a sheltered spot and keep it moist; wrap the pot in hessian in hard frost.

Diseases and pests

• Yellow leaves (chlorosis): Leaves turn yellow with green veins in chalky soil. Use rainwater and acid leaf mould, or improve the soil.
• Leaf drop in drought: Leaves turn brown and fall in prolonged drought. Water and mulch.
• Bare base: Old shrubs go bare at the base, especially in shade. Rejuvenate by cutting back in March.
• Scale insects: Small brown bumps on branches and leaves. Brush them off or prune them out; usually no further action is needed.

Through the year

• March: Rejuvenate old shrubs. Apply compost.
• April: Plant. Mulch.
• May: Plant. Water in dry weather.
• June: Flowering. Trim hedges.
• July: Water in dry weather. Stop feeding.
• August: Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• September: Plant. Look after cuttings.
• October: Plant. Black berries on female plants.
• December: Rest. The leaves may turn bronze.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Holly berries and leaves are poisonous: a few berries can cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea in a child, and dogs and cats fall ill from them too. The glossy red or black berries stay on the plant well into winter, and come indoors too with branches for Christmas decorations. Do not plant female plants where small children play, pick up fallen berries and hang decorations with berries out of their reach. Birds, however, eat the berries without harm. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• Ilex glabra is dioecious: only female plants bear berries, and for that a male plant is needed nearby.
• Although it is related to the common holly (Ilex aquifolium), its leaves have no spines.
• The name ‘inkberry’ refers to the black berries.