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Ilex verticillata This plant family offers dense, bushy, deciduous shrubs with dark green to blue-green glossy foliage. Female plants produce colorful persistent berries for the winter, so long as long as a compatible male variety is nearby. A superb choice for a specimen or foundation planting, and offers good deer resistance. 'Jim Dandy' is an extremely hardy male variety that serves as an excellent pollenizer for female varieties like 'Red Sprite' because they bloom at the same time. It does not produce berries, itself, but features rich, deep green foliage during the growing season on a dense, twiggy, oval to rounded habit. Plant in well-drained, amended soil. Water well after planting, and maintain 1" of water, once per week, for the first year. Little pruning is needed, as this plant shapes itself nicely. Feel free to remove dead branches and trunk suckers, or give it a shearing at any time. When necessary, hard prune in spring to early summer. Fertilize in early spring, mid-summer, and fall with an acidic fertilizer per label instructions. Mulch 2" to suppress weeds, retain moisture, and to protect against extremes of soil temperature. Wrap in burlap or spray with an anti-desiccant to offer winter protection.