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American Holly (Ilex opaca): Grand Strand December 2024 Plant of the Month

Posted on by Tierney Rosenstock

American holly (Ilex opaca). Credit: Janie Marlow

One of my favorite holiday songs when I was young was “The Holly and the Ivy,” a traditional song dating back to the 18th century. The beginning of the chorus goes:

The holly and the ivy,
When they were both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

So, I am crowning Ilex opaca, American holly or Christmas holly, our Plant of the Month this December. Even ancient cultures such as the Druids and Romans considered holly a sacred plant. Holly was used during winter solstice celebrations to symbolize life through the cold winter season and it is still used in holiday decorations today.

American holly is a woody, evergreen tree native to the eastern United States and can be found growing wild from NY south to FL and west to east TX. Trees can be found growing in a wide variety of forest types as long as the soils are moist, acidic and there is full sun to part shade. This species can take occasionally wet conditions, but poorly drained soils should be avoided. In our hot climate, some shade in the afternoon can be beneficial. Trees are ideal for privacy screens, but when grown in more shade branching will be sparser. Although it is slow growing, American holly can reach heights of up to 60 ft and serves well as a specimen plant in the landscape. It is a dioecious species, meaning plants are either male or female, and both male and female plants are needed to produce fruit.

American holly trees provide a variety of ecosystem benefits. As evergreen trees, they provide a good deal of cover to wildlife from predators and harsh weather conditions. This cover also creates nesting habitat for birds. The leaves are host to the Henry’s elfin butterfly, Callophrys Henrici. The small white flowers provide nectar to pollinators, and are especially important to specialist bees in the genus Colletes who feed only on Ilex sp. The fruit contains toxic compounds and should not be consumed by people, the bright red berries are favorites of many birds, small mammals, and white-tailed deer.

I highly recommend you add an American holly to your landscape, to support wildlife and to bring some holiday cheer to your home every year.

Further Reading: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ilex-opaca