The first snows have fallen and the leaves are off most of the trees except for the evergreens. At the edges of the woods, patches of bright red stand out against the early winter browns and grays. The American Winterberry are in fruit.
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a member of the holly family. Unlike its evergreen southern counterpart, the American Holly (Ilex opaca), Winterberry loses it leaves each winter revealing dense red clusters of red berries.
Usually found in wet places, it is the only species of holly native to eastern North America.
