Dear Reader: We are reposting this article because Ilex vomitoria is a tough, reliable, native plant that everyone should know about. It’s got flowers, berries, and evergreen leaves! And how about it’s name? I. vomitoria – there is a story there.

Original article and reposted article by Wendy Diaz, NC State Master Gardner ^SM volunteer

Berries of Ilex vomitoria. Image credit: Wendy Diaz

In 2020, I wrote an article about receiving platinum certification from the New Hope Audubon Society (NHAS) for a bird friendly yard. It was titled Gold is Good but Platinum is Better. Since then, I continue to replace exotic species with native plants. At one point I removed four large severely-pruned Burford hollies (Ilex cornuta ‘Burford’), which formed the foundation hedge along the front of the house.

Left: Original landscape using exotic Burford holly as a foundation hedge. Right: After the removal of Burford holly and replanted with native dwarf Yaupon holly . Image credit: Wendy Diaz

NHAS suggested native alternatives such as dwarf Yaupon holly, (Illex glabra) or sweet pepper bush (Clethra anifolia) to replace the old hedge. I chose and purchased three, 3 gallon Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’ or Dwarf Yaupon Holly, from my local nursery, to anchor this west facing 12 foot long front bed. After the old hollies were removed, I had additional space in front of the new shrubs to plant native herbaceous perennials like Coreopsis, ‘Cosmic Eye’, Eastern Grey Goldenrod, (Solidago nemoralis) and Bee Balm, (Monarda didyma). This increased the diversity of plants in my front bed.

Some Basics: 

Yaupon Holly, (Ilex vomitoria) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree and a great landscape plant. It is also a native.^[1]  They are naturally adapted to the maritime forest of the North Carolina coastal plain and can grow on dunes as well as in wet swamps and are more tolerant of heat than other hollies.^[2] They can get as tall as 25 feet and form thickets. They can have multiple trunks.

The species prefers acidic, organically rich, well-drained soils with medium moisture. They can take full sun or part shade conditions. There are no serious insect or disease problems but avoid heavily compacted wet soil as this can be stressful. Once established they tolerate drought. The branches have smooth light gray bark but the young stems are burgundy. The leaves are small, thick, leathery, evergreen, and elliptical-shaped. They average 1 to 3 inches long and have a crenate or toothed leaf margin ^[4].

The leaves contain caffeine. Native Americans would dry the leaves and make a ceremonial emetic drink. When consumed in large quantities it would induce vomiting; hence the Latin name vomitoria applied to this species ^[2].

Spring Flowers

The flowers are tiny, white and fragrant. They appear in April and attract many different bee species. The Yaupon holly is dioecious meaning the male and female flowers occur on separate plants. Only female Yaupon hollies produce the attractive red berries (drupes) that form in the fall and last into the winter months. The light gray bark contrasts well with the red berries giving it great winter interest ^[4].

Wildlife Value

It is a larval host plant for the Henry’s Elfin Butterfly (Callophrys henrici) and the Holly Azure Butterfly (Celastrina idella). ^[4]

The genus Ilex supports the specialized bee Colletes banksi ^[4]. Small mammals and birds eat the red berries. Birds also like to nest and shelter in the thick branches of my weeping yaupon holly, (Ilex vomitoria ‘Pendula’). Our resident green anole hides in the thick branches as well.

Left: Henry’s elfin butterfly (Callophrys henrici) Image credit: Flickr, Frode Jacobsen. Right: Holly Azure butterfly (Celastrina idella). Image credit: Flickr, Gail Hampshire

Cultivars

There are different forms of this cultivar making it useful in a wide variety of areas in the garden landscape. It can be used as a hedge, foundation shrub, windbreak, screen or specimen plant.  All cultivars can be clipped and shaped making it an ideal choice for topiary or bonsai^[4]. 

Ilex vomitoria, ‘Pendula’, is a weeping form which makes it an ideal specimen tree)^[5]. It can grow 15 to 30 feet in height and get 6 to12 feet wide.  Mine tends to get thick and twiggy and I frequently have to prune dead branches from its center.

Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’, is dense, compact , rounded and mounded in form. This dwarf cultivar typically grows to 4 feet in height and has brittle, close-knit branches. It is a slow growing cultivar and spreads wider (3 to 5 feet spread) than it grows tall. The leaves tend to be darker green on the top than beneath the plant and new leaves are a yellow-green in color. The red berries (drupes) are not as common or as visible on this cultivar as in ‘Pendula’ but they will occur if the flowers of the female plants are pollinated^[6]. This cultivar is popularly used for bonsai.

Some other dwarf cultivars are: ‘Bordeaux®’, ‘Schillings’, and Taylor’s Rudolph’. ‘Taylor’s Rudolph’ is reliably female and so will have berries if pollinated.

Ilex vomitoria, ‘Virginia Dare’, is taller and widely used for hedges. It will produce berries.

Ilex vomitoria, ‘Will Fleming’ , is a pencil-thin upright form.

This evergreen plant has definite appeal during all four seasons in the garden landscape with fragrant flowers that attract pollinators in the spring, glossy green foliage in the summer, attractive red berries in the fall that attract birds and evergreen foliage in the winter. If you need a shrub for a border, hedge, foundation plant or you just need a specimen tree, consider a cultivar of Yaupon holly. Choose the form you need for the space you have and it will improve the aesthetic value and ornamental interest in your garden landscape year round while also providing support for wildlife.

Resources and Additional Information:

• ^[1] University of Arkansas Plant of the Week: Yaupon Holly
• ^[2] Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder I.vomitoria
• ^[3] Missouri Botanical Garden I.vomitoria ‘Nana’
• ^[4] NCSU Plant Toolbox for Ilex vomitoria:
• ^[5] NCSU Plant Toolbox for I.vomitoria ‘ Pendula’
• ^[6] NCSU Plant Toolbox for I.vomitoria ‘ Nana’
• Trading invasive species for natives: Blog Post with list by Wendy Diaz

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