American Holly (Ilex opaca) in the Ilex Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Shrub Tree
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Soil pH Preferences:	Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 5a -28.9 °C (-20 °F) to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 9b
Plant Height:	20 - 50 feet (6.0 - 15.0 m)
Plant Spread:	10 - 20 feet (3.0 - 6.0 m)
Leaves:	Unusual foliage color Evergreen Broadleaf
Fruit:	Showy Edible to birds Other: Fruits only occur on female-flowered plants, provided appropriate male flowered plant is present for pollination.
Fruiting Time:	Late summer or early fall Fall Late fall or early winter
Flowers:	Inconspicuous Fragrant Other: American Holly is dioecious - male flowers and female flowers occur on separate plants.
Flower Color:	White
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Spring Late spring or early summer
Uses:	Windbreak or Hedge Provides winter interest Will Naturalize
Edible Parts:	Fruit
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Birds
Resistances:	Salt tolerant
Propagation: Seeds:	Stratify seeds Sow in situ
Propagation: Other methods:	Cuttings: Stem Cuttings: Tip
Pollinators:	Wasps Moths and Butterflies Bees Various insects
Miscellaneous:	Dioecious

Common names

American Holly
Christmas Holly

Botanical names

Accepted: Ilex opaca
Synonym: Ilex opaca var. opaca

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Western Kentucky
Date: 2014-05-14

Uploaded by Sharon

Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2013-12-26

Uploaded by dave

Location: Longwood Gardens Conservatory, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
Date: 2019-03-18

Uploaded by csandt

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 3-30-2012

Uploaded by gingin

Location: Aberdeen, NC
Date: April 24, 2022
American holly #74; RAB page 680, 112-1-1; LHB page 629, 11-1-4,

Uploaded by WebTucker

Uploaded by WebTucker

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2012-01-31
fruit & leaves

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2012-01-31
red fruit

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Western Kentucky
Date: 2012-10-16
October in zone 7

Uploaded by Sharon

Uploaded by dave

Uploaded by dave

Location: Southern Pines, NC
Date: January 1, 2022
English holly #18 nn; LHB page 629, 111-1-1, "Ancient Latin for Q

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2021-12-13
two female trees right together

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2021-12-13
leaves and some fruit

Uploaded by ILPARW

Date: c. 1865
illustration by H. Redouté from Michaux's 'The North American Sy

Uploaded by scvirginia

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2015-10-15

Uploaded by gingin

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2011-11-26

Uploaded by gingin

Location: My backyard in Allentown, PA
Date: 23 April 2016
A close look at the tip of a branch during bloom on 23 April 2016

Uploaded by marsrover

Uploaded by gingin

Location: National Botanical Garden (DC) | November 2022
Date: 2022-11-26

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Chester County, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-01-11
full-grown trunk

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Chester County, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-01-11
side of female tree

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Date: 2011-12-30
wild trees in woods

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Southern Pines, NC
Date: January 1, 2022
American holly # 74; RAB page 680, 112-1-1); LHB page 629, 11-1-4

Uploaded by WebTucker

Uploaded by admin

Location: Wayne, Pennsylvania
Date: 2009-11-29
full-grown tree

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Date: 2012-01-28
full-grown tree

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2012-01-31
full-grown tree

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: My backyard in Allentown, PA
Date: 2017-04-23
Up close and personal with the business ends of my holly on 23 Ap

Uploaded by marsrover

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by gingin

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2019-05-23
full-grown tree

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2019-05-23
male flowers with stamens

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2019-05-23
male flowers

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-01-14
one tree wide, one narrower

Uploaded by ILPARW

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on May 24, 2019 3:56 PM concerning plant:

Growing up in the Chicago, Illinois region, I knew of only one American Holly tree that was planted near the administration building of Morton Arboretum in Lisle, that was there from the 1920's into the 1990's, only reaching about 15 feet high. The area with silt-clay loam soils with a pH of about 6.8 to 7.1 the most was not great for this species that is native from central Florida to east Texas to southern Illinois into southern New England. I've seen it thriving in the acid, sandy loam soils of central and southern Delaware in the oak-hickory-beech woods and in some spots in the woods of eastern Pennsylvania. It has been planted a good amount along the East Coast and in the South in average to professional landscapes. It is slow growing of a little less than 1 foot/year. (There is a hybrid of the English Holly x the Chinese Holly, the cultivar of 'Nellie Stevens,' that unfortunately in recent times has often replaced this native species because it grows faster of about 1.5 feet/year, but it does not look as good with a varying amount of irregular growth.) The spiny evergreen leaves of American Holly get about 2 to 4 inches long and are usually medium green and not real shiny. The greenish-white flowers in spring are either all male flowers on each tree with yellow-headed stamens or all female flowers with a big green pistil. The red berries are about 0.3 inches in diameter borne in fall and winter and they are an excellent source of food for birds. The bark is gray and smooth, eventually getting some wartiness. This is a most lovely and high quality broadleaf evergreen tree. Many cultivars have been developed, but I mostly see the mother species around.

Reply to this comment
Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Dec 9, 2012 8:40 AM concerning plant:

This is a slow growing evergreen here. Both male and female plants are needed to produce the red fruits that are eaten by numerous songbirds.

Reply to this comment
Posted by sallyg (central Maryland - Zone 7b) on Dec 14, 2018 6:21 AM concerning plant:

Very common in the woods around me, which may be why I regularly find seedlings under my trees in natural, leaf litter areas. Some I have transplanted are now about four feet tall and I hope to see flowers soon to know if they are male or female.

Reply to this comment
Posted by robertduval14 (Milford, New Hampshire - Zone 5b) on Apr 17, 2013 7:14 PM concerning plant:

Delaware's state tree.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
WebTucker	On January 1, 2022	Fruit Ripened

» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
Ilex opaca male plant by ViburnumValley	Dec 30, 2012 11:58 PM	7

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Ilex Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Ilex

« The Ilex Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page

Ilex American Holly (Ilex opaca)

Ilex

American Holly (Ilex opaca)