Ilex decidua (meadow holly, also called "possumhaw", "deciduous holly" or "swamp holly") is a species of holly native to the United States.
| Ilex decidua | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Aquifoliales |
| Family: | Aquifoliaceae |
| Genus: | Ilex |
| Species: | I. decidua
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| Binomial name | |
| Ilex decidua | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Ilex curtissii (Fern.) Small | |
Description
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This is an upright shrub or small tree that is typically between 10 and 15 feet at maturity though it may grow larger provided partial shade.[2][3] I. decidua grows many thin trunks and stems in a clumping fashion[3] If left un-managed it will develop a large spreading mound of foliage up to 30' in the wild. Bark is "light brown to gray" in color and may be smooth or "warty and roughened".[4] Slender twigs are glabrous and silvery gray, with numerous spur shoots, pointed lateral buds, and acuminate scales.[4]
Distinguishing features of this species are crenate leaf margins and fruiting pedicels that are 2–8 mm long.[5] Its "distinctive leaf shape... is less variable than other species of holly".[4] Leaves are obovate,[6] simple, alternating, and grow to 2.5-7.5 cm long.[4] Although the plant is deciduous, its dark green leaves do not present any appreciable fall color change prior to dropping.[3]
From March to May small white flowers bloom among the leaves which produce small Drupe fruits ripening in early autumn.[3] Fruits are red (or rarely yellow), shiny, and globose (spherical, or nearly so), with a diameter of 4–8 mm.[5][4] Following leaf drop, fruits persist on the tree throughout the winter producing a showy winter sight against the bare branches.[3] While they have reached maturity by autumn, producing 3-5 seeds each,[4] it is not until the spring, after they've been exposed to freezing and thawing, that the bitter fruits become a favorite food source of many birds and mammals.[3][4]
Distribution and ecology
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Ilex decidua is a common plant,[5] 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.[7] It also grows in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Coahuila.[8]
It prefers land in floodplains and the margins of swamps or lakes, and grows at elevations up to about 360 m.[5][4] It can often be found on limestone glades and bluffs, along streams in wet woods, and in lowland valleys, sloughs and swamps.[2] Other plant species with which possumhaw is associated include water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), overcup oak (Quercus lyrata), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and hackberry (Celtis spp.).[9]
The fruits attract songbirds and small mammals.[6][10] Bobwhite quail also feed on the fruit.[11] Deer browse on young twigs.[4]
Cultivation and uses
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The growth habit of I. decidua lends it to various ornamental and functional uses in its native regions.[2] The thick trunks and stems allow this plant to serve as an effective screen if desired.[3] The lower branches can also be removed to form a more tidy small tree with a tight head of foliage at the crown.[3] This plant can be used ornamentally as a shrub or small tree in varied landscape uses and is well suited to backyard gardens.[2][3] 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.[2][3] Arborists may recommend this plant for parking lot buffer strips and islands, highway median strip plantings, or near decks and patios.[3]
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.[4] The Audubon society specifically included I. decidua among their recommendations for bird-safe outdoor holiday decorations.[12]
Possumhaw wood is not considered to be commercially useful because of the tree's small size.[4]
Selected cultivars
editFruit bearing (Requires a pollinator)
edit- Ilex decidua 'Byer's Golden'- Yellow Fruit[3]
- Ilex decidua 'Council Fire'- persistent orange-red fruit well into the winter[3]
- Ilex decidua 'Pendula'
- Ilex decidua 'Pocahontas' - Vigorous growth with very glossy bright red fruit and broader leaves which defoliate earlier[13]
- Ilex decidua 'Sentry' - Unique narrow columnar growth habit[13] averaging 20 feet[2] potentially well suited for planting in highway medians.[3]
- Ilex decidua 'Sundance' - Average 7 feet height with orange-red fruits[2]
- Ilex decidua 'Red Cascade' - Many large red fruits[2] which remain attractive until plant is again in full leaf[13]
- Ilex decidua 'Warren's Red'- Glossy bright red fruit in such abundance that the branches are arched. Silvery bark and dark green leaves throughout much of the season[13][2]
Pollinators (No Fruit)
edit- IIlex decidua 'Red Escort' - Unique male pollinator which resembles 'Warren's Red'[3][2][13]
- Fruit bearing IIlex decidua cultivars can also be pollinated by any Ilex opaca pollinators
References
edit- ^ Stritch, L. (2018). "Ilex decidua". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T122927419A122927594. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T122927419A122927594.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Ilex decidua (Possumhaw, Possum-haw, Possum Haw Holly, Possumhaw Holly, Swamp Holly) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Gilman, Edward F. "ILEX DECIDUA 'BYERS GOLDEN' GOLDEN POSSUMHAW1". edis.ifas.ufl.edu. UF IFAS Extension. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Brown, Claud L.; L. Katherine Kirkman (1990). Trees of Georgia and Adjacent States. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 178–179. ISBN 0-88192-148-3.
- ^ a b c d Duncan, Wilbur H. and Marion B. Duncan (1988). Trees of the Southeastern United States. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press. pp. 304–305. ISBN 0-8203-1469-2.
- ^ a b "NPIN: Ilex decidua (Possumhaw)". Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "PLANTS Profile for Ilex decidua (possumhaw)". Natural Resources Conservation Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "Ilex decidua". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "FDEP Featured Plant: Florida Hollies". Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ Little, Elbert L. (1980). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region. New York: Knopf. pp. 561–62. ISBN 0-394-50760-6.
- ^ Kurz, Don (2004). Shrubs and Woody Vines of Missouri (Second ed.). Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. p. 130. ISBN 1-887247-44-0.
- ^ Wallington, Natalie (4 Dec 2020). "How Bird-Friendly Are Your Holiday Decorations?". Audubon Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "ILEX Decidua". Simpson Nursery Company. 2013-06-06. Archived from the original on 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
External links
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Media related to Ilex decidua at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Ilex decidua at Wikispecies