There’s not a lot of color outdoors in winter, but the American holly (Ilex opaca) will bring you both green and red – just in time for the holidays. It’s an evergreen, meaning it keeps its leaves year-round, so you’ll always have some green in your yard. It produces bright red berries in mid- to late-fall that persist into winter.
If you plant American holly for the berries, you’ll need to plant several to make sure you get both male and female plants to produce berries. They make great privacy screens and are often planted in groups.
American hollies generally grow to be around 30 feet tall in good growing conditions. They do best in full sun to part-shade and are hardy in zones 5 to 9. The leaves have sharp spines – so don’t plant them in a location where you will continually brush up against them.
American holly is native to Mississippi.
Wildlife Uses of American Holly
American holly is an important fall and winter food source for many birds and even mammals. Wild turkey, quail, and songbirds will feed on the berries and use the shrub as winter shelter. White-tailed deer will also feed on the berries. In the spring, when the flowers are in bloom, bees will feed on the nectar.
If you want to attract wildlife to your backyard, having some evergreens in the mix, especially berry-producing ones, will support wildlife in fall and winter.
