inkberry

[ingk-ber-ee, -buh-ree]

noun

plural

inkberries 

1. Also called gallberry. a shrub, Ilex glabra, having leathery, evergreen leaves and black berries.

2. the pokeweed.

3. the berry of either plant.

inkberry

/ ˈɪŋkˌbɛrɪ /

noun

1. a North American holly tree, Ilex glabra, with black berry-like fruits

2. another name for the pokeweed

3. the fruit of either of these plants

Word History and Origins

Origin of inkberry¹

An Americanism dating back to 1755–65; ink + berry

Example Sentences

The inkberry sets black berries that provide sustenance to birds in the winter.

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There are several wonderful varieties of the inkberry, a suckering, evergreen holly that is great as an informal hedge.

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It will be lined with flowering trees like dogwood and witch hazel and native plants like inkberry, swamp rose and goldenrod.

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The terrace’s ledges, meanwhile, are planted with low grasses and perennials, from butterfly weed to inkberry to fescue.

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Large tree boxes with native plants, such as purple coneflower, switchgrass, inkberry and river birch, will also collect stormwater and provide habitat for District wildlife.

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