Inkberry is one of the best evergreen shrubs out there for creating a hedge, and it's an excellent alternative to the nonnative boxwood.
 
     Its greenish-white flowers emerge in spring and pull in butterflies, beetles, native bees and other pollinators.  The straight species has Very High pollinator values; the cultivars may be compromised in pollinator values but probably not too much since the only difference is 'Compacta' and 'Bob Rappalea' are shorter and more compact.
 
     Flowers on the female bushes, if pollinated, give way to berries that ripen to black in the fall and are an important late-season food source for birds.  The highly rated Gallberry Honey comes from bees feeding on inkberry blooms.
 
     Inkberry prefers moist soil and makes an excellent addition to a rain garden.  It also is highly adaptable to drier soils.
 
     Fun Fact: Native Americans used dried and roasted inkberry leaves to brew a black tea-like drink, lending to Inkberry the common name of Appalachian tea.