yaupon holly

Plant Type

Small Tree/Large Shrub (10-25 ft)

Typical Size

10-20 ft. tall
8-12 ft. wide

Tolerant of

Drought, Occasional Flooding, Salt Exposure

Propagation

By seed, By cutting

Plant Propagation Notes

For best germination, plant seeds immediately after collection. Seeds may be pre-treated with double-scarification. Semi-hardwood cuttings can be rooted in late fall.

Plant Planting Notes

This plant is known to produce suckers. It will produce more fruit and have a thicker canopy in sunnier locations but will tolerate deep shade and a wide range of soil types.

Plants/Diseases

Holly leaf miner, spider mites, whitefly, and scale are occasional problems. Leaf spot, leaf rot, tar spot, and powdery mildew are potential disease problems.

Wildlife Benefits

Nectar/pollen source for pollinating insects, Host plant for butterfly larvae, Fruit/seeds for birds

Leaves

1.5-inch oval leaves are glossy green and leathery with toothed margins and rounded at base and tip.

Flowers

Small greenish-white flowers that appear on male and female plants in the spring (April). The flowers are fragrant but generally inconspicuous. They grow solitary or in pairs and are clustered on peduncles in leaf axils. Blooms from March to May.

Fruit

1/4 inch red drupes in clusters mature in fall and persist into winter.

Toxicity

All Ilex species are mildly toxic when consumed. Sensitivity varies by individual.

Ethnobotanical Use

The leaves of Ilex vomitoria were used for ceremonial tea called the black drink.  When consumed in large quantities, it had an emetic effect which is now memorialized by the specific epithet vomitoria. Young leaves and twigs can be used to make a caffeinated tea.

USDA Hardiness Zones

7, 8, 9

Light Exposure

Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade, Full Shade

Soil Moisture

Medium, Moist

Soil Drainage

Well-drained

Soil pH

Acidic (less than 6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0), Basic (greater than 8.0)

Native in South Carolina?

Yes

Plant Native Habitat

Maritime forests, other dry sandy forests, shrublands, and disturbed areas

Global Conservation Status (NatureServe)

Secure (G5)

Federal Conservation Status (USFWS)

Not Listed

Distribution Notes

Within South Carolina, Yaupon holly is common in the Coastal Plain, introduced in the Piedmont, and absent in the Mountains.