Little Goblin® Guy Winterberry Holly

Light Needs

Part Sun to Full Sun

(5+ Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

3-4 Feet

Mature Spread

3-4 Feet

Growing Zones

3 to 9

Little Goblin® Guy Winterberry Holly is the compact male partner that helps female winterberries produce their heavy berry display. Ilex verticillata 'NCIV3' grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, forming an upright deciduous shrub with green foliage and small white flowers in late spring to early summer. It does not produce berries itself, but its pollen is timed for Little Goblin Orange Winterberry Holly and Little Goblin Red Winterberry Holly. One male plant will pollinate up to five compatible female plants within about 50 feet, making it a good choice for smaller gardens.

This North American native winterberry holly is a Proven Winners ColorChoice, bred to be space-saving, deer resistant, salt tolerant, and comfortable in damp soil. Bees visit the flowers during bloom, moving pollen between male and female shrubs. Plant it in native gardens, moist hedges, rain gardens, mixed shrub borders, wildlife plantings, and berry-focused winter displays.

Little Goblin® Guy Winterberry Holly Care

Plant Little Goblin® Guy Winterberry Holly in full sun to part shade, with at least 4 hours of sun supporting better flowering. It grows best in moist to wet soil with good organic content. Slightly acidic soil is preferred, and high-pH sites should be avoided because winterberry hollies can develop chlorosis.

Water thoroughly after planting to settle the root ball. Keep the soil consistently moist over the first season while roots spread into the surrounding bed. Mature plants tolerate average garden moisture, but severe or repeated dryness can reduce flowering and limit pollination value for nearby female hollies. Fertilize lightly in early spring with a granular fertilizer for acid-loving shrubs if growth is weak. Mulch 2 to 3 inches deep around the root zone to conserve moisture and keep the soil cooler.

Pruning is rarely needed for Little Goblin® Guy Winterberry Holly. If shaping is necessary, prune right after bloom so the shrub has time to form flower buds for the following year. Remove dead or crossing branches first, and avoid heavy cutting that reduces the number of pollen-producing flowers.

Little Goblin® Guy Winterberry Holly Spacing

Space Little Goblin® Guy Winterberry Holly 3 to 4 feet apart from nearby shrubs, or place one male within 50 feet of up to five compatible female winterberries. For grouped plantings, give each shrub enough room to mature without tight crowding so bees can move easily through the flowers. For containers, choose a pot at least 16 to 20 inches wide with drainage holes, and keep the potting mix evenly moist through warm weather.

In moist native borders, place Little Goblin® Guy Winterberry Holly near female holly bushes so pollination happens during the shared bloom window. Try blueberry bushes nearby for edible fruit before the winterberry stems become the cold-season focus. Sedge can cover the lower layer in rain gardens, while bee balm adds summer flowers for pollinators in the same sunny, moisture-retentive setting.

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