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Characteristics
 Family-
Aquifoliaceae--The Holly Family
- Origin
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Native NC
- Plant Description
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Evergreen tree to 25 feet, leaves alternate, small, with rounded teeth along the margins; flowers in April and May, small, white, clustered; fruits visible through the summer, maturing and turning a glowing red in fall, trees of separate sexes and only female trees bear fruit; bark smooth and gray.
- Ornamental Characteristics
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Attractive fine foliage, glowing translucent red berries.
- Landscape Use
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Use the species as a limbed-up small tree or large shrub; use 'Pendula' as a specimen; use the dwarf cultivars for low hedges. 'Schilling's Dwarf' used to make formal parterres in coastal gardens.
- Horticultural Cultivars
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The native species grows to small tree stature, but cultivars have been selected for dwarf form 'Nana' and 'Schilling's Dwarf', and weeping form 'Pendula'. 'Virginia Dare' bears yellow fruit.
- Availability/Propagation
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Cultivars widely available in nurseries; propagated commercially by cuttings. Transplant from the wild (with permission).
- Culture
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Plant in full sun to light shade in moist, well drained soil. Very tolerant of soils from dry sands to wet, black coastal soils. Moderately tolerant of salt spray, but killed back during bad storms.
- Coastal Ecology
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Yaupon holly is an evergreen shrub or small tree of varying dimensions. On the frontal dunes, it assumes a low, wind-sheared habit of a much branched, twiggy, medium sized shrub; farther inland it can grow into a 25-foot, single trunked tree of exceptional beauty. The specific epithet "vomitoria" comes from the ritual practice of coastal Indians consuming a tea made from the leaves, berries and bark before battle; this strong "black drink" caused vomiting which was viewed as a way to cleanse the body and soul. Yaupon is the only native holly that contains caffeine in the leaves, and during difficult economic times coastal residents made a very tasty tea by drying the young, tender leaves in the oven until dark, and then steeping them like English tea. Yaupon tea is still enjoyed by some long-time residents of remote coastal areas; but never ingest the berries as they can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
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