Gardener: Make your holiday decor sparkle

One of my greatest pleasures in the fall is watching the leaves drop from my holly. Yes, my holly! The leaves of deciduous winterberry hollies (Ilex verticillata) turn from green to yellow and then drop to the ground, leaving brilliant berries that brighten up the fall and winter landscape.

Many people are unfamiliar with hollies that don't have glossy evergreen leaves, but once folks discover these plants' versatility and beauty, they are usually smitten and put them on their most-wanted list. Unlike evergreen hollies, deciduous hollies are more adaptable to variations in sun, heat and moisture. Their USDA hardiness zones range from 4 to 9 (www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-nm1.html).

Although winterberry hollies are typically found in low, swampy areas, they do equally well in average or dry areas. I have a dry area in my yard, where my "Sparkleberry" holly lights up the place! Who needs holiday lights when you've got winterberries?

These versatile shrubs grow to a height of 5 to 12 feet and are native from Nova Scotia, south to Florida and west to Missouri. While full sun is ideal for deciduous holly, these native shrubs do fine in partial shade, but you may get fewer berries. More sun means more fruit!

It may be hard to decide which winterberry to plant in your garden, so I recommend trying a couple different types. If you are looking for a larger shrub with red berries, "Sparkleberry" is a good choice, as it reaches about 12 feet tall. With its medium height (8 to 9 feet) and slightly larger red berries, "Winter Red" is a favorite. "Red Sprite" fits well into smaller landscapes with a mature size of 3 to 5 feet.

But not all winterberry hollies have red berries. Maturing to about 8 feet, "Winter Gold" has berries that vary from pinkish to golden-orange. "Afterglow" has large orange-red berries that mature to orange, with a height of about 10 feet.

In order for the bushes to produce lots of berries, a male is needed for pollination.

To ensure plentiful fruit, plant both sexes within 40 feet of each other. You need about one male to five females, but you need the right male. "Jim Dandy," "Apollo" and "Southern Gentlemen" are the most common male pollinators:

-- "Jim Dandy" pollinates "Afterglow" and "Red Sprite";

-- "Apollo" pollinates "Sparkleberry" and "Winter Red"; and

-- "Southern Gentleman" pollinates "Sparkleberry," "Winter Red," "Winter Gold" and "Red Sprite."