Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is a slow-growing holly bush variety, native to North America. It usually grows in damp areas like swamps, thickets, and along rivers and ponds. It gets its name from the Christmas-red berries that develop from fertilized flowers and stay on the bare bush stems much of the winter.
 
Winterberry holly is a medium sized bush, growing no taller than 15 feet. The bark is smooth and attractive, gray to black, while the crown is upright and spreading. The branches are slender and grow quite thick in a zigzag pattern. When you read up on winterberry holly information, you learn that the shrubs are deciduous, with leaves up to 4 inches long. The leaves are dark green in the summer, turning yellow in autumn, and falling off entirely by October.