| General Description | An extremely versatile small evergreen shrub; can be used in the garden or for low hedges, massing and topiary, small oval leaves and interesting black berries in winter; quite hardy, but some suckering; does best in full sun to partial shade. |
| ID Characteristic | White flowers appear in spring but are relatively inconspicuous. It has grey-brown or slightly green smooth bark with the newer stems typically green. Small thick, spineless, dark green leaves fade to olive green in winter. Jet black fruits persist throughout the winter. |
| Shape | Compact shrub with a tight, oval to rounded habit. |
| Landscape | Mass or group, excellent for shrub borders, foundation plantings or hedges. |
| Propagation | Summer cuttings rooted under mist at between 1000 and 3000 ppm of IBA in peat/perlite work well. |
| Cultivation | Succeeds in most soils if they are not water-logged; needs an acid soil. Very slow growing and seldom exceeding 1.3 m in height. |
| Pests | No serious disease or insect problems. Occasional problems with leaf spot and susceptible to chlorosis in high pH soils. |
| Habitat | The species is naturally distributed along the coastal states from Texas to Nova Scotia. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Grey-brown or slightly green smooth bark. Newer stems are typically green. |
| Leaf Description | Small, thick, spineless, dark green leaves fade to olive green in winter, 3–4 cm long. |
| Flower Description | Whitish flowers appear in spring, but are relatively inconspicuous, 5 mm in size. |
| Fruit Description | Ilex is dioecious with the drupe formation needing a nearby male plant. Lustrous, jet black fruits that persist through the winter; 8 mm in size. |
| Colour Description | Dark green leaves, jet black fruit 8 mm wide that persist through the winter, whitish flowers appear in spring. |
| Texture Description | Medium. |