Shrub · Deer-resistant
Yaupon Holly
Ilex vomitoria
Also called: Yaupon
An adaptable evergreen holly that takes sun or deep shade, wet or dry, and covers itself in translucent red berries that hold all winter for the birds. Its leaves brew North America's only native caffeinated tea.
Growing & care
Female plants bear the berries — buy in fruit to be sure. Shears well into a hedge or limbs up into a small tree. Tolerates almost any condition.
Bloom season
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
In bloom: Mar–Apr · Colors: white
Where to buy
Look for yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) at: native Texas nurseries, local garden centers.
Buying nursery-propagated natives — never collected from the wild — keeps
wild populations intact. Ask any seller where their stock comes from.
Good for