Yaupon Holly Other Common Names: Yaupon Holly, Cassina, Christmas Berry Scientific Name: Ilex vomitoria Alternate Native Species: Dwarf Yaupon Holly  Native to Alabama: Yes
	Yaupon Holly Dreamstime Click on image to enlarge it

 Learn more about...
   

---

 

Basic Plant Information
	I am a vascular plant with a woody stems above ground, so I am a shrub. I keep leaves year-round, so I am evergreen. I renew my growth each spring for many seasons, so I am perennial. I can grow 12 - 25 feet high and 8 - 12 feet wide.
Yaupon Holly Wikimedia - Luteus Click on image to enlarge it

---

---

Maintenance Notes
Retain leaves in winter. Pruning is not necessary, but can take heavy pruning to shape into a hedge or tree. Trimming will promote regrowth for a fuller shrub. If pruning, it is best to trim annually in the winter. Can grow aggressively and form thickets.
Remove root suckers to keep it localized. For red fruit, need both male and female plants. Can be propagated with cuttings. When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds.  Water should reach all roots. Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves. Until established, water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

---

Habitat Requirements
This plant prefers:
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day) Part Sun/Shade (2-6 hours of sun per day) Shade (Less than 2 hours of sun per day)		Heavy watering with good drainage	Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay, or Limestone soil

---

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification
LEAF DESCRIPTION				Yaupon Holly Leaves Wikimedia - David J. Stang Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)
Shape: Ovate	Margin: Crenate	Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple
Description:
Leaves are 1-1.5 inches long and 0.75 inches wide; dark green and shiny on the upper side and lighter green underneath; leathery; toothed margins

FLOWER DESCRIPTION				Yaupon Holly Flowers Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Alan Cressler Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)
Color: White, Greenish-white	Shape: Funnelform		Bloom Months: Apr - May
Description:
Flowers are small with four petals; relatively inconspicuous; fragrant

SEED DESCRIPTION			Yaupon Holly Fruit Dreamstime Click on image to enlarge it
Type: Fruit - Drupe	Description: Bright red, round, glossy, berry-looking fruits that are 0.25 inches in diameter	Months in Seed: Winter
Plant spreads by:
Seeds; females produce berry-like fruits after fertilization

---

Plant Life Cycle
Plant Life Cycle: All plants start life as a seed.  Seeds contain the new plant (embryo) and the nutrients inside of a protective coat.  They must be dispersed (moved to a new location) Once a seeed lands in a suitable environment, it will begin to grow to form the cotyledon or sprout.  Small roots will begin growing into the soil, and a small leaf is developed. The sprout becomes a seedling, developing a stem and leaves above ground.
	Dreamstime Click on image to enlarge it
Plant Life Cycle continues: As the seedling continues to grow, it will develop into a mature adult plant. Mature adult plants are able to produce flowers that can be pollinated.  The pollination process leads to the formation of new seeds, and the process continues.
	Yaupon Holly Seeds Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Bruce Leander Click on image to enlarge it

---

Quick Fact Sheet (Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign: Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign: Editable Word Doc

QR Code (Links to this Webpage)

---

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		USDA Plants Database
North Carolina Entension Gardener Plant Toolbox		Missouri Botanical Garden
Alabama Butterfly Atlas		Alabama Plant Atlas

.