Ilex glabra 'Shamrock' (Inkberry)

Ilex glabra 'Shamrock' is a dense, semi-compact cultivar of inkberry holly, a evergreen native shrub found across much of the coastal eastern United States. Perfect as a native alternative to larger boxwoods, 'Shamrock' is a medium-sized selection that holds onto its foliage all year and produces attractive black berries when in the presence of a male inkberry like Squeeze Box. Dense, mounding, and growing to a size of about 4-5' tall and wide, though occasionally larger, 'Shamrock' inkberry has small, glossy, green leaves that start out bright green before maturing to a rich, dark green.

A slow growing evergreen with a suckering habit, ideal for foundation plantings, hedges, or evergreen specimen plants, 'Shamrock' grows best in full to part-sun conditions and medium to wet, well drained sandy soils with some acidity. Perfect for a variety of garden locations, Ilex glabra 'Shamrock' is tolerant of perpetually wet and clay soils, as well as salt exposure, and has all the ornamental appeal of boxwood with the added ecological benefits of a native species. Ilex glabra 'Shamrock' is an all-female cultivar, and when planted near a male cultivar like Squeeze Box®, it will produce small, jet black berries that attract birds throughout the fall and winter.