win·ter·ber·ry | \ ˈwin-tər-ˌber-ē 
\
\Definition of winterberry
1 : an eastern North American shrub (Ilex verticillata) of the holly family with axillary flowers, usually bright red berries, and deciduous leaves that turn black in the fall
— called also black alder
2 : any of several congeneric shrubs or small trees (such as Ilex laevigata of the eastern U.S.)
Examples of winterberry in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Channel winter’s most universal plant, the winterberry, with pops of red jacquard tablecloths and marbleized coasters atop your dining tables.
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Ciarra Lorren Zatorski, Vogue, "30 Tabletop Accessories to Spark Joy This Holiday Season," 15 Dec. 2020 Consulting ecologist and president of Prairie Nursery in Westfield, Neil Diboll mentioned native winterberry (Ilex verticillata) as a good choice for winterscaping.
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Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Winterscaping the yard can take the chill out of a snowy landscape," 1 Oct. 2020 Some of us appreciate Wisconsin’s stark winter landscapes and visit botanical gardens to stroll their paths and appreciate the ruddy auburn limbs of dogwood trees or the bright, red fruits on winterberry holly bushes.
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Brian E. Clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin botanical gardens and arboretums are a tropical escape in winter," 27 Dec. 2019 The native winterberry, which grows in moist, acid soil at the edge of bogs, is a large shrub, but cultivars are widely available in a range of sizes.
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Beth Botts, chicagotribune.com, "How to grow holly for the winter holidays even in the Midwest," 7 Dec. 2019 No garden should be without hellebores or a daphne or two, winterberry hollies and witch hazels.
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Washington Post, "The winter garden is full of promise and productivity. Don’t let it go to waste.," 20 Nov. 2019 The woodland bush ivy and red winterberry wreath presents a classic red and green palette.
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Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, "Post office unveils holiday stamps," 27 Oct. 2019 For example, winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus) are good shrubs for soil that is frequently wet, Taylor said.
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Beth Botts, chicagotribune.com, "'Plants aren’t sponges': Soil that's too wet, too long can spoil your garden," 6 June 2018 Robins and catbirds will compete for plump, vermilion winterberries.
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Bart Ziegler, WSJ, "Save the Songbirds: Plant These Shrubs and Bushes," 13 Sep. 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'winterberry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for winterberry
The first known use of winterberry was in 1752
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