Illustration
Red Sprite
Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite'
Red Sprite blooms from October through December.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Red Sprite
Plant it in full sun. It prefers high water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 3.5 ft tall and 4 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 5 years (not yet checked).
What this means
Written with AI assistance and not yet checked plant by plant against recorded sources, so treat every fact above as a starting point. Its scientific name was checked against botanical registries, an audit keeps its values consistent with the rest of the library, and a July 2026 review re-read the main facts of every plant then in the library against horticultural authorities without recording a source for each, which is why none of that counts as checked here. The source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open, and a checked plant says so in this row.
When to plant Red Sprite
Plant Red Sprite in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from October to December.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Red Sprite get?
3.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult4 ftwideSee Red Sprite in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Red Sprite
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Red Sprite about 4 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Red Sprite to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Good to know about Red Sprite
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
The berries and leaves are toxic if eaten, by people and pets alike, though low severity. The toxin is saponins, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and depression. per ASPCA and NC State
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.