Yaupon Holly Plant Care

Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) belongs to the Aquifoliaceae family within the Ilex genus. Yaupon Holly is native to southeastern North America. Yaupon Holly is also known as Yaupon.

Yaupon Holly displays an upright, dense shrub or small tree growth habit, reaching up to 15 ft tall with a spread of approximately 10 ft. Yaupon Holly produces small white flowers in clusters, followed by red berries.

Leaf size: approximately 3 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Yaupon Holly every 7–14 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Yaupon Holly thrives in full sun to part shade.

Ilex vomitoria tolerates temperatures of 50–80°F. Yaupon Holly prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Good drainage is essential for Yaupon Holly to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Yaupon Holly every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to part shade and moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Yaupon Holly is suited to USDA Zone 7a – 10b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Yaupon Holly can spread to about 10 ft (3 m) and reach about 15 ft (5 m) tall. Space plants about 10 ft (3 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Yaupon Holly while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Yaupon Holly is hardy down to USDA zone 7a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown trees need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Yaupon Holly can be propagated through seeds, semi-hardwood cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to christmas holly plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Yaupon Holly is susceptible to spider mites, scale insects, leaf miners. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Yaupon Holly grows outdoors in USDA Zone 7a – 10b. It survives winters down to planting zone 7a. Yaupon Holly is native to southeastern North America.