Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Other Names:  Black Alder

Description:

A male deciduous holly with an upright and dense growth habit, ideal for pollinating female fruit-bearing varieties; suckers into colonies; requires moist to wet highly acidic soils, good for problem areas; excellent when massed

Ornamental Features

Jim Dandy Winterberry has dark green deciduous foliage on a plant with an oval habit of growth. The pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Jim Dandy Winterberry is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely oval form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Jim Dandy Winterberry is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Jim Dandy Winterberry will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.