Ilex opaca

Ilex opaca is one of the tallest native hollies in our region, and is found in forests throughout the southeast. It can grow well in a wide array of conditions: wet to dry soil, full sun to part shade. It does not do well in areas that flood frequently. It is an evergreen tree; it produces small white flowers in the spring that attract many pollinators, and red fruits in the fall/winter that are an important food source for birds and small mammals. Ilex opaca is great for restoration projects, or as a specimen tree in a yard.