Ilex opaca var. arenicola
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Scrub Holly
Aquifoliaceae
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Tree | |
| Size: | 12-20 ft | |
| 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 fruits, Interesting foliage, Thorns |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Specimen plant. Slow growing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | Leaves have sharp spines. 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 propagated from seed, but slow to germinate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Not wet but not extremely dry ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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: | Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Acidic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Fruits principally eaten by birds. | |
| Insects: | Pollinated by bees. Documented bee species include Augochloropsis sumptuosa, Megachilepetulans and Xylocopa virginica krombeini (Deyrup et al. 2002). | |
| Native Habitats: | Scrub. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| Ethnobotany: | The wood is pale, tough, close-grained, takes a good polish, and is used for handles, engraving blocks, and cabinet work. It can also be dyed and used as a substitute for ebony. |