Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Wildlife Value
Birds are attracted to plentiful red fruits.
Plant Profile: Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal'
Names
Carolina Cardinal Holly, Hybrid Winterberry Holly, Winterberry
Phonetic Spelling:EYE-leks
Genus:Ilex
Species:
Family:Aquifoliaceae
Carolina Winterberry is a small, deciduous shrub belonging to the holly family, cultivated at the JC Raulston Arboretum. Its vibrant red berries serve as a food source for birds during the fall and winter seasons. This plant is ideal for use in shrub borders, grouped plantings, or as a focal point in a winter interest garden.
For additional details on Ilex hybrids, please refer to further resources.
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Feature Summary
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Image Gallery
Tags
#deciduous
#wildlife plant
#deciduous shrub
#low maintenance
#winter interest
#food source
#red fruits
#food source winter
#food source fall
#compact habit
#bird friendly
#food source soft mast fruit
Similar Plants
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Feature Summary
Attributes
Birds are attracted to plentiful red fruits.
Woody
Fruit
Bright red drupe that lasts from fall through winter.
Drupe
Red/Burgundy
Leaves
Light green simple elliptical leaves
Deciduous
Green
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Deciduous
Dense
Medium
Low
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
6-feet-12 feet
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Flowers
White
Stem
Gray/Silver
Landscape
Winter Garden
Border
Small groups
Small Space
Songbirds
Bark
Dark Gray
Dark Brown
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Image Gallery
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Attributes
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Fruit
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Fruit Description
Bright red drupe that lasts from fall through winter.
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Fruit Color
Red/Burgundy
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Leaves
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Leaf Description
Light green simple elliptical leaves
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Leaf Color
Green
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Hairs Present
No
Yes
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Whole Plant Traits
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Cultural Conditions
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Flowers
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Flower Color
White
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Stem
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Stem Color
Gray/Silver
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Landscape
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal' Bark
Ilex 'Carolina Cardinal': Bark Color
Dark Brown
Dark Gray
