A Tale of Two Hollies

Two of the hollies native to our area are very visible right now because they're covered with bright red berries. I'm sure you've seen them as you drive through our rural areas. They frequently grow wild along fence lines or under power lines, because birds eat the berries and them drop them when they're sitting on the fences or lines.

They are the Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) and the Possumhaw Holly (Ilex decidua). The genus Ilex includes all the hollies. They are probably best known as a Christmas decoration.

It's my impression that the Yaupon is the more common of the two, but I don't know that for certain. They are both shrubs or small trees. The main difference in appearance is that the Yaupon is evergreen while the Possumhaw is deciduous.

The Yaupon holly has an interesting history. The species name, vomitoria, comes from it's use by Native Americans as a vomit-inducing drink. The leaves and twigs contain caffeine and the Native Americans made a tea with them and then drank large quantities in ceremonies. The tea itself didn't actually cause the vomiting, but the association stuck.

Yaupon holly along the road near our property.

 

The Yaupon holly is a popular landscape plant. The leaves are small and dark green and the gray bark usually has white patches. It's a great choice since it's adapted to our area and it can be trimmed into hedges. You may want to give them a try.

Yaupon berries.

The Possumhaw holly is deciduous, hence it's species name, decidua. The leaves are glossy, oval, toothed and dark green. They turn yellow in the autumn and drop off. The bark is gray or white.

A Possumhaw holly.

While the Yaupon's berries are sometimes hard to see because of the leaves, the Possumhaw's stand out beautifully against it's white bark.

Possumhaw berries.