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Possumhaw

Ilex decidua

Possumhaw is a deciduous holly grown for its spectacular winter display of scarlet berries clustered along bare gray branches, stripped slowly by birds. Adaptable to wet or dry soils in sun.

Family
Aquifoliaceae
Type
shrub
Lifespan
perennial
Height
12–20 ft
Spacing
8–15 ft apart
Light
sun
Soil moisture
moist, wet, dry
Soil pH
acidic, neutral
Bloom
April, May
Bloom colors
white, green
Wildlife value
pollinators, songbirds, larval host
Caterpillar hosts
~39 butterfly & moth species
Landscape uses
specimen, hedge or screen, rain garden
Native states
AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA