Ilex vomitoria - yaupon holly (seedlings)

Height: 30’ +
Spread: 12’ +
Light Needs: full sun to part shade
Water: average to moist
Flower color: white
Bloom time: April

This is an evergreen large shrub or small tree. Root suckers are produced to varying degrees by some plants. The small leaves have toothed margins but no spines. Small white, fragrant flowers appear in spring. Pollen-bearing and seed-bearing flowers are produced on different plants. One of each is required for fruit production. The gender of these seedlings is unknown. With good pollination, large numbers of red fruits ripen in fall. In the garden, plants may be used singly as an accent, planted as a screen or scattered through the woodland understory. It is very tolerant of trimming and shaping. The fruits are important winter food for fruit-eating birds like mockingbirds and cedar waxwings. The evergreen foliage provides some cover for winter wildlife. The leaves of this plant  have been used commercially for a caffeinated tea.

These plants are seedlings. Their gender is unknown at the sale time.