Inkberry Holly

{"key":"inkberry","id":"PLT-ILEX-GLABRA","slug":"inkberry-holly-gallberry","name":"Inkberry Holly","botanical":"Ilex glabra","eyebrow":"A native green backdrop","benefit":"Privacy that belongs in a natural garden.","intro":"Also called gallberry, this native evergreen brings quiet structure to a generous planting bed. Think of an informal green backdrop with room to expand, rather than a tight row pressed against the house.","h":[5,10],"w":[5,10],"install":[2,2],"color":"#42573c","habit":"upright","light":"Sun to part shade","lightTags":["sun","part"],"water":"Moist acidic soil; tolerates occasional wet periods","season":"Evergreen · seasonal black fruit on pollinated females","care":"Monitor spreading shoots; shape only as needed","site":"Consider inkberry for a moist, acidic bed in the Pensacola region. Native does not mean every planting spot fits: the soil, available width and distance from buildings all matter.","sizeNote":"Published species dimensions vary; this broad 5–10 ft planning range includes UF/IFAS and NC State guidance. Spreading shoots can create a wider colony. Named dwarf cultivars need their own dimensions and should not be ordered from this species example.","uses":["An informal privacy layer","A roomy native garden border","A backdrop for seasonal color","A moist planting zone","A wildlife garden away from busy edges"],"checks":[["Give the screen its own space","Place its mature footprint before the path, seating and maintenance route. A screen should provide privacy while leaving the rest of the garden comfortable to use."],["Separate plants from fire exposure","Inkberry has a high flammability rating. Keep it out of the home’s defensible space and away from fire features; choose another planting approach for those areas."],["Check the soil before the purchase","Review acidity and how the bed behaves after rain. A rendering cannot show whether imported fill, irrigation or a nearby drain makes that location unsuitable."],["Plan for the colony","Allow space for spreading shoots, or include their removal in the maintenance plan. A lower layer can also soften exposed stems without forcing an unnaturally dense hedge."]],"faq":[["Will every inkberry have black berries?","Fruit needs a female plant and compatible male pollen. The illustration shows seasonal possibilities, not a fruit guarantee. Treat the berries as wildlife interest, not food for the family."],["Is this the same plant as Distylium?","No. They are different plants with different site needs. Similar-looking shapes in a design library are not interchangeable nursery selections."],["Can it solve a drainage problem?","It can suit an occasionally wet planting zone, but plant selection does not fix a faulty stormwater route. Work out where water goes before assigning plants to the bed."]],"sources":[["Species, growing conditions + fire placement · NC State Extension","https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ilex-glabra/"],["Florida landscape size reference · UF/IFAS FFL Plant Guide","https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/fflifasufledu/docs/publications/FFL-Plant-Guide_Web.pdf"]],"companions":[{"slug":"henrys-garnet-sweetspire","name":"Henry’s Garnet Sweetspire","title":"A softer flowering foreground","reason":"Consider sweetspire in its own sunny-to-part-shade footprint where the soil moisture suits both. Allow the sweetspire room to spread.","image":{"id":"6a9f5cd7d7f880ff25110b61","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6a9f5cd7d7f880ff25110b61_landova-henry-context-r05.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Henry’s Garnet Sweetspire"}},{"slug":"florida-anise","name":"Florida Anise","title":"A sheltered shaded layer","reason":"Florida anise can join a larger native planting scheme in a moist, sheltered area. Place it according to its own shade and space needs.","image":{"id":"6a9f3484598f07756d53faf0","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6a9f3484598f07756d53faf0_landova-shrub-anise-context-r02.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Florida Anise"}}],"wholeFit":"contain","wholeCaption":"Illustrative whole-plant study. Use the measured comparison for installed and mature size.","detailCaption":"Illustrative foliage and seasonal detail; appearance varies by season and growing conditions.","native":true,"guideKind":"Native species guide","aliases":["Gallberry"],"images":{"context":{"id":"6a9f5cd42a41d062f4f88b28","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6a9f5cd42a41d062f4f88b28_landova-inkberry-context-r05.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Inkberry Holly"},"whole":{"id":"6a9f5cd59abf8bef4ff90da7","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6a9f5cd59abf8bef4ff90da7_landova-inkberry-whole-r05.webp","alt":"Illustrative view of Inkberry Holly overall form","fit":"contain"},"detail":{"id":"6a9f5cd5ed7b89a06a96904c","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6a9f5cd5ed7b89a06a96904c_landova-inkberry-detail-r05.webp","alt":"Illustrative view of Inkberry Holly foliage and seasonal detail"}},"caution":"Allow spreading growth, check acidic soil and keep this flammable shrub away from buildings and fire features."}