Do not confuse with
🇪🇺 ◼︎ European black alder Alnus glutinosa
which is also sometimes called black alder. Very-distantly related:
- Not in the same species, family nor order.
- Their fruit are very different (drupe vs. cone-like, disbursed 🐦︎ by animals vs. 💨︎ by wind).
- Their leaves are very different.
- And one is a tree, while the other is a shrub.
Part of
holly genus Ilex,
the only living genus in
family Aquifoliaceae.
Native to 🇨🇦 Canada and 🇺🇸 USA, east of the 🗻 Rocky Mountains.
🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48),
🗺 map (North America, Central America). 
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
Ilex hosts caterpillars of 35 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.
How to Grow and Care for Winterberry Holly.
Use in a small water feature or back patio garden, bloom dates, height, light, moisture, etc. (Pennsylvania). (pages 13, 30, 32 and 46)