Common Winterberry

Ilex verticillata

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Dolba hyloeus, Sphinx kalmiae, Euclea delphinii, Antheraea polyphemus, Automeris io, Orgyia leucostigma, Haematopis grataria, Lascoria ambigualis, Feltia subterranea, Herpetogramma thestealis, Cepphis armataria, Orthosia alurina, Egira alternans
S13+S15 13 verified Eastern NA
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Colletes banksi, Colletes brimleyi, Perdita floridensis
S17 3 spp. specialist on Ilex genus (FL-NC, CT-VA ranges)
❄️ Winter Food Source: Bright red drupes persist from fall well into winter, providing critical food for American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush, and Ruffed Grouse. Cedar Waxwing, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, and Veery also consume the fruit. White-footed Mouse and Deer Mouse eat berries; Cottontail Rabbit gnaws bark.
S57 6 bird spp.; S10 Cedar Waxwing, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Veery, Hermit Thrush; S72 Fr, WF, Sh

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Secure in both Ontario (S5) and Quebec (S5), with a global rank of G5 and IUCN status of Least Concern. Not listed under SARA. Widely distributed from Newfoundland to Minnesota and south to Georgia and Texas.
S22 G5, S5/S5; S26 not SARA listed; S29 range description
Rarity Ranks: QC S5 – Secure, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Characteristic shrub of acidic swamps, bog margins, forested wetlands, and moist thickets across the mixed-wood shield. Frequently found along lake and stream shorelines, in shrub bogs, and bottomland woodlands on saturated organic or loamy soils. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region, documented from Kettle Island, Deschenes, Shirley's Bay, and Mer Bleue, occupying wet depressions and swamp edges.
S7 bogs, swamps, moist shores; S10 bottomland woodlands, swamps, bogs; S61 wetland margins, vernal pools; S48 Gatineau specimen localities

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 7-2, pp. 116)]
Notes: Pairs naturally with other wetland shrubs and sedges in swamp and bog garden settings. Michigan Flora documents it growing with Aronia prunifolia, Salix, Cornus, and various Carex in shrub swamp communities. Both male and female plants required for fruit set. Useful as a wildlife-attracting understory shrub in rain gardens and bioretention areas.
S7 habitat associates; S29 bog garden; S10 both sexes needed

Category: Antiseptic, Astringent, Cathartic, Tonic, Emetic, Gastrointestinal Aid, Antidiarrheal, Respiratory Aid
S28 Moerman categories; S29 PFAF medicinal uses
Notes: Iroquois used bark decoction as a physic, emetic, and for biliousness; compound root decoction taken for hay fever. Ojibwa used bark for diarrhea. PFAF reports bark is antiseptic, astringent, cathartic, and tonic, used internally for diarrhea and malaria, externally for skin disease and sores. Bark contains approximately 4.8% tannin. Contains betulin in bark, fruit, and leaf.
S28 Iroquois/Ojibwa uses; S29 bark medicinal properties; S31 betulin

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: Not commonly consumed as food. A caffeine-free tea can be made from dried and crumbled leaves. The berries are considered mildly toxic and should not be eaten; they contain saponins and may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and stupor if consumed in quantity.
S29 tea from leaves, no caffeine; S29 fruits contain saponins, mildly toxic