Ilex opaca

American holly

Aquifoliaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

40-60 ft tall by 15-25 ft wide

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms in spring. Fruits ripen in fall and persist into winter.

Noted For:

Showy Fruits, Hurricane Wind Resistance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen tree.  Screen.  

Considerations:

Sharp spines (teeth) on leaves.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---- to ---- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds

Bees pollinate flowers. 

Fruits are eaten by birds.

Native Habitats:

Upland woods, second bottom but will not tolerate long flooding. Often an understory plant.


Documented in Lee County in a site likely to be natural. Documented in Palm Beach County in an urbanizing area where likely to be a garden escape.