Scott County, KY (Zone 5b) | January 2012 | positive
'Shortcake' Winterberry Holly is another one of many excellent plants evaluated and selected by the late Polly Hill of Martha's Vineyard....Read More
'Shortcake' has bright reddish orange fruit that color up well and are reasonably persistent compared with most Winterberry Holly selections. It is reported to be very hardy and drought resistant, and has performed that way here at the Valley.
This selection is a more compact grower than other Polly Hill selections. Like other Winterberry Hollies, it needs no additional assistance other than reasonable moisture during the driest times in the growing season. Like all winterberries, it prefers wetness and acid soils on the sandy side. I have none of these conditions here in central KY, yet I am rewarded amply and annually by the reliable performance of these plants.
Polly Hill left quite a legacy of horticultural endeavor at her property (formerly Barnard's Inn Farm, now Polly Hill Arboretum), and the series of winterberries she named rank up there with the showiest plants for landscape interest during those cold bleak months when gardens can seem too dreary to enjoy.
'Shortcake' Winterberry Holly is another one of many excellent plants evaluated and selected by the late Polly Hill of Martha's Vineyard....Read More