Inkberry is an evergreen shrub with glossy, spineless leaves, forming a rounded hedge or screen and producing black berries on pollinated female plants.
- Height
- 152–305 cm / 5–10 ft
- Spread
- 152–244 cm / 5–8 ft
- Light
- Full sun / Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Moist, well-drained
- Flowering
- Spring, Summer
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Maintenance
- Low
- USDA zones
- 4a–11b
Planting
Plant in full sun or partial shade in acidic soil. It tolerates moist ground and occasional wetness; include male and female plants if berries are wanted.
Care
Usually little pruning is needed. If shaping a hedge, prune in early spring before growth starts; allow space for the suckering stems to form a colony.
Before planting: Berries can cause illness if swallowed. Keep this highly flammable shrub outside wildfire defensible space.
Planting Inkberry?
Find a landscaper nearby to help with planting and establishment.
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Sources & photo credit
Plant reference: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Content checked . Flowering seasons vary with local climate; USDA zones describe winter cold tolerance.
- Inkberry: Randy Harter · CC BY 4.0. Resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.
- Adam's needle yucca: Carl Lewis · CC BY 2.0. Resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.
- Bearberry: Walter Siegmund · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.
- Chinese leadwort: Daderot · CC0 1.0. Resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.