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Ilex decidua
Also called Possum Haw, Possom Haw Holly, Deciduous Holly, Meadow Holly, Possum Haw Holly Or Deciduous Holly, Possumhaw Holly
Possumhaw is a deciduous holly native to the southeastern United States and northern Mexico, grown as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree. It tolerates wet soil and partial shade, and is valued for its winter berries.
Ilex decidua (meadow holly, also called "possumhaw", "deciduous holly" or "swamp holly") is a species of holly native to the United States.
The growth habit of I. decidua lends it to various ornamental and functional uses in its native regions. The thick trunks and stems allow this plant to serve as an effective screen if desired. The lower branches can also be removed to form a more tidy small tree with a tight head of foliage at the crown. This plant can be used ornamentally as a shrub or small tree in varied landscape uses and is well suited to backyard gardens. As possumhaw tolerates wet soil and is often found wild in wet woods, it is also an excellent candidate to stabilise stream beds or for the banks of water retention ponds. Arborists may recommend this plant for parking lot buffer strips and islands, highway median strip plantings, or near decks and patios.
Because of its attractive "berries", this tree is often used as a winter ornamental plant and branches may be collected for use as Christmas decorations. The Audubon society specifically included I. decidua among their recommendations for bird-safe outdoor holiday decorations.
Ilex decidua is a common plant, growing in the US in Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. It also grows in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Coahuila.
English holly · Dahoon · Ilex chapaensis · Ilex chinensis · Large gallberry · Japanese holly · Marsh Holly · Inkberry · Guayusa · Elegance female holly · Ilex kaushue · Tarajo Holly
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ilex decidua by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
