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Botanical name: Ilex cassine
This impressive holly is great as a screen or shaped as a small accent tree; emerging yellow-green foliage turns deep green and glossy; abundant red fruit in fall and winter make this a great addition to the landscape.
| Hardiness zone | 7a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | cream |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 30 feet |
| Spread | 12 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to wet |
| Plant origin | Texas Native |
Dahoon Holly is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It features an abundance of magnificent red berries in late fall. It has attractive dark green foliage which emerges chartreuse in spring. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The flowers are not ornamentally significant.
Dahoon Holly is a multi-stemmed evergreen tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds and bees to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Dahoon Holly is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Mass Planting, Hedges/Screening, Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
Dahoon Holly will grow to be about 30 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more. This is a dioecious species, meaning that individual plants are either male or female. Only the females will produce fruit, and a male variety of the same species is required nearby as a pollinator.
This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is native to parts of our region.
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