Nemopanthus Mucronatus

Nemopanthus mucronatus, now accepted as Ilex mucronata, is a graceful deciduous holly of cool North American wetlands. Slender grey branches carry soft, oval leaves without the spines of familiar evergreen hollies, followed by small spring flowers. Female plants develop bright red berries on fine stalks when a male grows nearby, providing autumn colour and food for birds. Known as mountain holly or catberry, it thrives in bog margins, swampy woodland and acidic ground, making an unusual native-style shrub for a moist wildlife garden.