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Marcus, Joseph A. (Austin, TX)

Ilex vomitoria Ait.

Yaupon, Yaupon holly, Cassina

Aquifoliaceae (Holly Family)

USDA Symbol: ilvo

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Yaupon is a picturesque, upright, single- or multi-trunked shrub or small tree, growing 12-25 ft high. Female plants produce prodigous amounts of bright red, persistent berries. The leaves are dark-green and small, usually less than 1 1/2 in. long. The pale gray bark is marked with white patches.

The ornamental twigs with shiny evergreen leaves and numerous red berries are favorite Christmas decoration. Yaupon Holly is sometimes grown for ornament and trimmed into hedges. The leaves contain caffeine, and American Indians used them to prepare a tea to induce vomiting and as a laxative. Tribes from the interior traveled to the coast in large numbers each spring to partake of this tonic.

 

From the Image Gallery

View herbarium specimen from Harry T. Cliffe Bexar Regional Herbarium.

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Root Type: Tap
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Size Class: 12-36 ft.
Breeding System: Dioecious
Fruit Type: Drupe
Size Notes: 12-25
Leaf Color: Green
Fruit Length: Red

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , OK , SC , TX , VA
Native Distribution: S.e. VA to FL, w. to AR & s.c. TX
Native Habitat: Frequent in low woods, hammocks, and sandy pine lands in east and south central Texas. Sand, loam, clay, limestone; poor drainage okay. Low, maritime woods; hummocks; sandy pinelands
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Sandy to gravelly soils; tolerates poorly drained soil. Sandy Sandy Loam Medium Loam Clay Loam Clay Limestone-based
Conditions Comments: Yaupon is a versatile plant that tolerates drought and poor drainage, with best production of red fruit when shrub gets half a day of sun or more. Nursery plants are typically female (fruiting) and are propagated by cuttings. You must have both a male and female plant to have berries. The male must be the same species as the female and bloom at the same time. It is slow-growing and tends to get thick and twiggy on the inside. Careful pruning creates an elegantly-shaped plant. Good late winter source of food for many bird species.
Texas comments: Yaupon is a versatile plant that tolerates drought and poor drainage, with best production of red fruit when shrub gets half a day of sun or more. Nursery plants are typically female (fruiting) and are propagated by cuttings. You must have both a male and female plant to have berries. It is slow-growing and tends to get thick and twiggy on the inside. Careful pruning creates an elegantly-shaped plant. It is a good late winter source of food for many bird species.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Understory tree, Accent tree or shrub, Fruits ornamental, Attractive
Use Wildlife: Fruit-birds, Fruit-mammals, Nectar-insects, Nesting site.
Use Medicinal: The young leaves contain caffeine and may be used to make a tea. In high doses, the tea is emetic, hence the name vomitoria.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Henrys Elfin butterfly
Deer Resistant: Moderate

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Ilex vomitoria is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Elf
(Microtia elva)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Propagation Material: Semi-hardwood Cuttings
Description: Seeds germinate best if planted immediately after collection. They may be pretreated with double-stratification
Seed Treatment: Some benefit may be obtained from 30-60 days treatment at 68-86 degrees followed by 60-90 days of 41 degrees.
Commercially Avail: yes
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PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese privet)
   Nandina domestica (sacred bamboo)
   Phyllostachys aurea (golden bamboo)
   Pyracantha coccinea (scarlet firethorn)

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: Hello, I am a chef from Buenos Aires Argentina visiting Austin, Texas and would like to learn about native, edible plants in the region. Please let me know if there are any native, edible plants and if they grow wild, I can harvest them myself, or if there is a place I can purchase them. thanks, salud!!
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: Help, my oleanders are dying. I am in need of hedge suggestions- ideal would be quick growing, maybe 8-12 feet at their tallest. I live in Central Texas.
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: Looking to replace Red Tips with major leaf spot infections. Need about third replaced. What suggestions would you have to replace these privacy hedge row type plants? Need a plant that will grow at least 5 feet tall. The plants are provided with water by a drip sprinkler system. Thank You.
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: I need advice on what tall evergreens I can plant along a fence line for privacy. I need trees that will be at minimum 8 to 10 feet tall at maturity, are aesthetically pleasing and provide privacy.
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: Mr. Smarty Plants, Please recommend a tall, thick shrub to conceal the 6 foot chain link fence around the perimeter of our property. The fence is located down a hill from our home with western exposure and full sun. While we can run a soaker hose down there to establish the roots, I would love to have tall shrubs that will conceal the fence, act as a noise barrier from the street and require no watering throughout the summer. Is there such a plant? The nursery recommended red tip photinias but after reading your article about disease with these plants, I'm reconsidering. Thank you for your advice.
click here to view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Native Plant Society of Texas - Fredericksburg, TX
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

Black Drink: A Native American Tea (1979) Hudson, Charles M.
Gardening with Native Plants of the South (1994) Wasowski and Wasowski
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Trees of Central Texas (1984) Vines, Robert A.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Ilex vomitoria in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ilex vomitoria in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ilex vomitoria

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-04-04
Research By: TWC Staff

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