American Holly
Ilex opacaAmerican Holly is a tree native to Central Texas that grows 15–25 ft tall and 20 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and medium water, and handles clay soil. Blooms yellow in mid spring. Evergreen — it holds its leaves through winter. Good for birds and butterflies.
Will it grow in your yard?
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The facts
6 sources- Type
- Tree
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade (3–6 hrs of direct sun)
- Water
- Medium
- Height
- 15–25 ft
- Spread
- 20 ft
- Bloom
- Mid Spring · yellow
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Soil
- Takes clay · recorded on dry, loam, moist, sand, well drained
- Wildlife
- Supports birds and butterflies
Where it grows
Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:
10 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).
Can you buy it?
Also grows here — hard to find. Native and recorded growing in Central Texas, but not on the grower stock lists we read. Sourcing varies: some are stocked widely, others you will have to hunt for.
also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.