Scientific name: Ilex opaca
Common name: American holly
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the southeastern United States [1,2,3].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for I. opaca.
USDA Zones: 5B-9 [2]
Maximum age: May survive up to 140 years [3].
Ecology: Cedar waxwings prefer the fruit, which are browsed by a variety of birds, deer, and small mammals [1,3]. The dense foliage also provides nesting habitat for small songbirds [1]. It hosts a few native butterfly and moth species, including the aptly named and widely distributed Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus), but is also home to non-natives such as the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) [5].
Ethnobotany: The shiny, dark green leaves and abundant, crimson berries are a hallmark of Christmastime, and also the reason for American holly's popularity as an ornamental [1,3]. Several Indigenous American groups use the berries for dyes and buttons, the leaves and bark in medicines, and the wood for carving various tools and decorations [3,4].
