Densa Inkberry

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3-4 Feet

Mature Spread

4-5 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 8

The Densa inkberry creates a steadfast year-round display or hedge with its glossy green foliage. Unlike some other types of inkberries, the Densa does not have a tendency to lose lower leaves and then have a bare-looking base. A female cultivar of the Ilex glabra species, the Dansa has a rounded, compact form and has good branching even at ground level. Few plants rival the Densa inkberry as a compact privacy screen option.

As a slow-growing, dense evergreen with a tendency to sucker, the Densa inkberry is very well suited to use as a foundation or hedge plant. This plant is easy to care for and can be pruned to any desired shape or size. Densa inkberry can even grow in suitably large containers. It is a cultivar of a plant native to the eastern United States. Inconspicuous white flowers make way for small black berries that attract birds. 

Densa Inkberry Care

The Densa inkberry can tolerate a few hours of shade daily but otherwise enjoys sites with full sun. It prefers slightly acidic, moist soils but performs well in a range of soil types and under varied conditions, including places prone to salt exposure. Plan to water the inkberry regularly during hot, dray weather and mulch around it to help conserve soil moisture.  An ability to tolerate poorly-drained soils makes the Densa inkberry a good alternative to boxwoods for these sites.   Feed the inkberry with a slow-release, balanced fertilizer annually in spring before new growth emerges to encourage vigor.

Prune the Densa inkberry annually in early summer when new growth has hardened off. You can use hedge trimmers to shape the plant and selectively cut back a portion of the oldest branches to open up the canopy of the plant.

Densa Inkberry Spacing

The Densa inkberry grows four to six feet tall with a similar spread, although it can get bigger with space and no pruning. Space plants four feet apart to form a hedge or give them five feet or more of space if using them as individual specimens.