Inkberry

Plant type: Evergreen shrub
Botanical name: Ilex glabra
Hardiness: USDA Zones 4 to 9

Dark green, lustrous leaves that are longer and more slender than that of I. crenata and a somewhat looser habit gives this wonderful evergreen a tidy but relaxed air. The species grows six to eight feet high and eight to 10 feet wide, but there are smaller cultivars. Berries are black on the species, but some of the cultivars have white fruit.

Cultivation: Very accommodating, inkberry adapts to a wide range of soils--acid or alkaline, dry or wet--and in sunny to moderately shady sites.

How to use it: Think of the inkberry as performing the same services as Japanese holly, just a little looser and more informally. Use it in masses, as a foundation planting (give it room to expand a bit) or as a great filler on lightly shady slopes.

Selected cultivars: