Yaupon Holly is a picturesque upright, single- or multi-trunked shrub or small tree, growing 12-
35 ft. high but usually no taller than 25 ft. Female plants produce prodigious amounts of bright red, persistent berries. The evergreen leaves are dark green and small, usually less than 1-1/2 in. long. If you see wonderful red berries with green leaves along the roadside, it is probably Yaupon Holly. A close cousin of this plant, Possumhaw
Holly ( Ilex decidua ), loses its leaves in the winter (thus it is “deciduous”) but keeps its fruit even longer than the
Yaupon. Without its leaves, the
Possumhaw stands out vividly with a show of all-red berries, while Yaupon is an evergreen and has its fruit mixed in with the foliage.
The first written reference to this plant was in 1542 in a lengthy report written by Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca, who described an annual ceremony of the Native Americans in which they made a “Black Drink” using the berries of the Yaupon. The leaves and twigs contain caffeine, and it is well known that Native
Americans used them to prepare a tea, used both ceremonially and as a common hospitality drink. During certain ceremonies, the Native
Americans would drink large quantities of the tea and then vomit it back up, lending the plant its species name, vomitoria . The vomiting may have been self-induced or caused by the emetic properties of the plant when drunk in large quantities. Tribes from the interior traveled to the coast in large numbers each spring to partake of this tonic. Yaupon tea remained popular among southeastern
Americans into the 20th century and is still occasionally consumed today, with a flavor resembling another holly drink, the South American yerba maté, from Ilex paraguariensis .
Yaupon Holly is not a picky plant. It will grow in both well- and poorly-drained sand, loam,

clay, gravel, or limestone soils. It can grow in shade, dappled shade, part shade, or full sun. A half day or more of sun will encourage the best berry production. Once established, Yaupon
Holly is very drought-tolerant. While moderately deer-resistant, deer will sometimes browse the leaves.
The Yaupon Holly’s scientific name, Ilex vomitoria , has led to a popular misconception that the plant is poisonous to wildlife. However, birds do eat the berries, but usually only in late winter, after several freezes and thaws. Mammals eat the fruit as well, and the flowers attract insects.
Only the female plants produce berries, thus most nurseries stock the female (fruiting) plants. If no other yaupons are in your area, you will also need to plant a male tree if you want berries.
Yaupon is slow-growing and tends to get thick and twiggy on the inside, making it ideal for dense hedges but requiring careful pruning to shape it into a tree. Birds employ the dense branches for nesting sites.
Add a Yaupon Holly to your landscape this winter — this is a plant that will make you – and the wildlife – happy!
PLANTING TIPS:
Space plants 12
′
-15
′
apart. Dig hole slightly larger than, but the same depth as the nursery container. Carefully remove plant from container and gently loosen any compacted soil around the root ball. Plant at the same depth as the soil in the container. Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch.