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

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:

Tends to produce suckers, which can be removed if you wish to have a specimen tree. It's dioecious; so make sure you have at least one male plant in the vicinity to produce berries on the females.

Availability:

Big Box Stores, Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries, Seed, Friends

Propagation:

Naturally clonal, so can transplant from from stem cuttings. Seeds of most holly species require 2-3 years of dormancy before they will germinate.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

Coming Soon!

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.

Natural Range in Florida:

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.