Dahoon Holly (Yaupon)
Location
General Plants
Ilex cassine
- Common Name: Dahoon Holly (Yaupon)
- Scientific Name: Ilex cassine
- Family Name: Aquifoliaceae
- Origin: Native to Florida and the southeastern United States.
- Height: 20’ – 30’
- Width: 8’ – 12’
- Growth: Moderate
- Zone: 7A – 11
- Light Needs: Full sun – partial shade.
- Salt Tolerance: Moderate salt spray tolerance.
- Soil/PH/Texture: Slightly acid – slightly alkaline (6.1 – 7.8).
- Soil Moisture: Prefers moist soils because wet, boggy soils of the swamps are its native soil.
- Drought Tolerance: Moderate
- Pests/Diseases: A twig gall sometimes forms in response to a fungus infection. Mites can infest foliage on trees planted on dry sites otherwise resistant to pests and diseases, resistant to verticillium wilt.
- Growing Conditions: Low maintenance, little pruning is needed. The crown is fuller with full sun and moist soil. It adapts well to the confined spaces of downtown and urban landscapes.
- Characteristics: This evergreen has dark green simple leaves that are 2” – 4” in length, oval and arranged alternately. The clustered flowers of the male plant are greenish white, and the female has white flowers which appear in late spring to early summer. The fruit produced are red, orange or yellow, round and about ¼”.
- Propagation: By seed and cuttings
- Wildlife: Attracts bees and birds, fruit attracts squirrels and mammals.
- Facts: This holly is dioecious and needs to have both a male and female planted in the landscape to produce berries.
- Designer Considerations: Can be used as a hedge, screen, specimen, street, deck, patio, tree in your yard, bonsai, container plant and is urban tolerant.