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
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• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.