• Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Ilex vomitoria

yaupon holly

Nomenclature

Common Name:

yaupon holly

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Ilex vomitoria

Family:

Aquifoliaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

8-25 ft tall by 5-8 ft wide, clonal.

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms in spring. Fruits ripen in fall and persist into winter.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Hurricane Wind Resistance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen tree.

Considerations:

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Availability:

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Propagation:

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Light:

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Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- 1Stays wet

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Soil pH:

adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds

Bees pollinate flowers. 

Fruits are eaten by birds.

Native Habitats:

Coastal scrub, coastal dunes, coastal flatwoods, river swamps, scrub, secondary woods, pine-oak-hickory woods.

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Despite its scientific name, yaupon holly makes a good tea that is commercially available.  This tea has substantial caffeine content.

General Comments:

Many cultivars have been developed or found in the wild ranging from weeping forms to little round balls ('Shillings').

To get fruits, both a male and a female are required. Although there are issues with provenance, 'Shillings' is a male and can provide an inconspicuous source of pollen for larger females. The issue (with no scientifically vetted answer) is whether pollen from a natural dwarf could have any affect on wild populations of yaupon holly (the author suspects 'no' as being dwarf is unlikely to provide any selective advantage in the wild.