Inkberry is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 6 through 12 and shrugs off deer. Its spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Inkberry — the short answer
Inkberry: grown in zones 6–12, full sun, pH 4.5–7.
- USDA zones
- 6–12
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 4.5–7
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Inkberry on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether inkberry actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score inkberry against your land's real conditions.
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What Inkberry is
Inkberry grows as a perennial and reaches around eight feet at maturity. It blooms white in spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Inkberry
Inkberry grows in USDA zones 6 through 12. Inkberry does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 7, on well-drained ground. It needs about 400 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
6-12
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 7
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Cold Hardiness
-13°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA PLANTS
Mature Height
8 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
400+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant inkberry in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun.
Match the soil
Inkberry prefers pH 4.5 to 7 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Keep it in good form
Prune inkberry to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Inkberry thrives
Inkberry is hardy across USDA zones 6 through 12. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 6–12 spans average winter lows from -10°F to 60°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 17 outright and splits 31 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 6–12·Where Inkberry growsOpen map →
Where Inkberry stands, state by state
Inkberry is rated for zones 6–12 — a cold floor USDA puts at -10 to 0°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 17 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 31 more, and 3 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 6–12
17 states
- Arkansas · zones 6b-8b
- Connecticut · zones 6a-7b
- Kentucky · zones 6a-7b
3 of 17 shown
The line runs through
31 states
3 of 31 shown
Inkberry’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 6–12
3 states
- Minnesota · zones 3a-5a
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
- South Dakota · zones 4a-5b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Inkberry
Growing guides for inkberry
In rotation planning, inkberry counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in shrub
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — inkberry is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Inkberry offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Your land is one point inside Inkberry's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Inkberry will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether inkberry actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Inkberry
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Inkberry in my zone?
Inkberry grows in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 12 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Inkberry?
Time inkberry to your own season rather than the calendar. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Inkberry need?
Inkberry needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Inkberry need?
Inkberry prefers soil pH 4.5 to 7, on well-drained ground (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Inkberry attract pollinators?
Yes — inkberry's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Is Inkberry safe for pets?
Inkberry is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)