Ilex decidua

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Possum Haw

Aquifoliaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:Tree
Size:20 ft tall by 10 ft wide
Life Span:Long-lived perennial
Flower Color:White
Fruit Color:Red
Phenology:Deciduous
Noted for:Showy fruits

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:Understory tree in informal garden or woodland setting.
Considerations:It's dioecious; so make sure you have at least one male plant in the vicinity to produce berries on the females.
Propagation:Can be started from softwood cuttings in spring. Seeds of most holly species require 2-3 years of dormancy before they will germinate.
Availability:Native nurseries
Light: Full Sun,  Part Shade
Moisture Tolerance:
always floodedextremely dry
 (Stays Wet ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding)
Moisture Tolerance: Stays Wet ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or other substrate:Organic material (muck), Sand
Soil pH:

Ecology

Wildlife:
 

Nuthatches, thrushes, orioles, jays, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, grosbeacks, woodpeckers, and warblers use the seeds.

Insects:
 

Bees pollinate the flowers. 

Native Habitats:Floodplains, upland hardwood forests, thickets.

Distribution and Planting Zones

Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones

Suitable to grow in:
8A 8B 9A 9B 

USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures

Comments

General Comments:Rarely grown but worthy of consideration as an understory tree.