Species PlantsSmooth Winterberry

Smooth Winterberry

Ilex laevigata

UncommonPlant
Illustration of Smooth Winterberry (Ilex laevigata)

Smooth Winterberry is a native deciduous holly of bogs and wet acidic soils along the Atlantic coastal plain, closely related to winterberry but with smoother leaves and slightly different berries. Its bright orange-to-red berries provide critical winter food for cedar waxwings and many other birds. The two species sometimes hybridize where their ranges overlap.

Habitat
Bogs and wet acidic soils of the Atlantic coastal plain
Diet
Berries eaten by cedar waxwings, robins, and other birds in winter
How common
Uncommon

Best time to see a Smooth Winterberry

The best time to see a Smooth Winterberry is August–November, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 93 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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