Holiday Decorating With Winterberries

Winterberries are pretty enough to use by themselves. "People love the simplicity of the red berries on the branches," says Bill Prescott of Stargazer Barn. "Use 10 or 12 stems in a vase for a clean, beautiful look." If a few berries start to turn brown or wilt, just pick them off and discard them. Note: the ASPCA says winterberries are toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Avoid using winterberries around animals and children.

It's hard to imagine a plant that becomes more beautiful when it loses its leaves, but winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is just that plant. When the foliage drops in fall, branches studded with red, orange-red or yellow berries shine. They're stunning to use in wreaths, swags and indoor arrangements."Winterberries grow all over the U.S.," says grower Bill Prescott of Stargazer Barn, a supplier of flowers, wines and gifts. "Our winterberries are bred for floral use, so they have long stems and nice, lateral branches that are dense with berries." 

Cold nights trigger these deciduous plants to lose their leaves. In the California mountains, where the Stargazer Barn winterberries grow, the colorful berries attract hungry birds and black bears. (Avoid using or growing winterberries around dogs, cats and horses; the ASPCA says they're toxic to these animals.)

The perfume of Oriental lilies mingles with the scent of fresh-cut cedar to make this floral arrangement, called "Deck the Halls", smell "magical, like Christmas," Prescott says. The Oriental lilies are 'White Cup' and the greenery is 'Port Orford', a cedar from the forests that surround Stargazer Barn.