About Ilex verticillata (L.) A.Gray
Ilex verticillata (L.) A.Gray is a deciduous holly shrub that reaches 1 to 5 meters (3 to 16 feet) in height. It grows differently depending on soil moisture: in wet locations, it spreads out to form a dense thicket, while it stays a compact shrub in dry soil. Its leaves are glossy green, measuring 3.5 to 9 centimeters (1 3/8 to 3 1/2 inches) long and 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters (5/8 to 1 3/8 inches) wide, with a serrated margin and an acute apex. The plant produces small flowers 5 millimeters (0.20 inches) in diameter, each with 5 to 8 white petals. Its fruit is a globose red drupe 6 to 8 millimeters (0.24 to 0.31 inches) across that often remains on the branches through much of the winter, which gives the plant its common English name. Like most holly species, Ilex verticillata is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female; female plants require at least one male plant growing nearby to be pollinated before they can produce fruit. Native Americans historically used the plant's berries for medicinal purposes, which is the origin of its alternative name "fever bush". Ingesting the plant's seeds, leaves, bark, or berries can cause nausea and low blood pressure.
