haul out the (florida native) holly!

For as long as people have been decorating for winter holidays (long before Christmas, even), holly – with its brilliant red berries and shiny green leaves – has been a popular choice. Romans used it as part of their Saturnalia celebrations, Pagans during the celebration of the Winter Solstice, and early Christians associated the prickly leaves with Jesus’ crown of thorns and adapted it into their Christmas celebrations.

Here in the U.S., the traditional holly used for decoration is American Holly (Ilex opaca), which is native to most of the country east of the Mississippi, including Florida. It’s hardy in zones 5-9, likes acidic, well-drained soils, and is drought-tolerant.

While American Holly grows here, a more common holly found in Florida is the Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria). That Latin name means just what you think it does – for hundreds of years, Native Americans used the leaves of this shrub as an emetic. They also brewed the young leaves and twigs to use as a ceremonial intoxicant (kids, don’t try this at home!). Today, Yaupon Holly is a common ornamental shrub, growing in zones 8-10 in almost any kind of soil and moisture conditions. It’s even salt-tolerant.

Butterfly gardeners may want to check out Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine) – it’s listed as a larval plant for Henry’s Elfin and Striped Hairstreak butterflies. It’s hardy in zones 5-10 and prefers moist soil, although it can be planted anywhere if you help it out through the drier seasons.

There are many other species of holly in Florida, but all share a few common features:

• Holly is dioecious, which means you need both male and female plants to produce those pretty red berries. One male plant will serve several females in the area. Nurseries generally mark plants as male or female, so you can buy appropriately.
• The beautiful red berries aren’t edible by humans, but songbirds absolutely love them. Our state bird, the Northern Mockingbird,  is especially fond of it and will even become territorial over a certain bush (I speak from experience!).
• Holly leaves are very prickly – be careful about placing this bush where people might brush it accidentally.

Whatever kind you choose, native holly is a low-maintenance, easy-to-grow plant that makes a great addition to a Florida-Friendly yard in any season.