Knowledgebase
Winterberry Pollinators #865567
Asked April 23, 2024, 10:50 AM EDT
Stark County Ohio
Expert Response
Thank you for reaching out with your question about your Winterberry plants. This is a very good question! Here's what I found in my research to your question about using other male Winterberry Plants to provide pollination for your female plants.
One important element to ensure pollination is that both plants need to bloom at the same time. This is found at:
https://www.hortmag.com/plants-we-love-2/little-goblin-winterberry-holly-is-a-small-colorful-shrub
Note: To ensure fruit set, you must plant a male and a female winterberry. Both Little Goblin Red and Little Goblin Orange are female winterberries that require a male pollinator. The variety Little Goblin Guy is a good male shrub for these because it blooms at the same time. Plant male and female winterberries within 50 feet of each other for heavy fruit set.
However, I also found this from:
https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/plant-growing-guide/ultimate-guide-winterberry-holly
Once you’ve determined which female variety you want, check the tag for which male variety will be compatible. That recommendation will be based on the blooming period of the two plants, which must overlap exactly. There are two distinct bloom times among winterberry hollies: early and late. Though the difference is usually just a matter of a week or two, male and female plants must be from the same group. When possible, they should also be selected from the same genetic line, which is indicated by similar names – for example, the ideal pollinator for Berry Heavy or Berry Poppins is Mr. Poppins. All Proven Winners varieties are in the early blooming group, so our male pollinator is interchangeable with any of the female varieties we offer.
View all of our winterberry hollies here.
As far as finding your male plant, I would suggest asking your nurseries to find out if they can order one. I have found that most are accommodating.
I hope I've answered your questions. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out again.
Happy gardening!