Summary

Evergreen foliage, compact size and minimal maintenance make this Louisiana Super Plant a superb selection for short hedges, defining borders and softening foundations in the landscape. Native to Louisiana and throughout the Southeast, yaupon hollies (Ilex vomitoria) are woody perennials that provide ornamental interest with their fruit (technically drupes) and spectrum of growth habits; however, several cultivars have been selectively bred to maintain a compact form in the landscape. Popular cultivars such as Nana, Schilling’s Dwarf and Stokes’ Dwarf, represent a variety of options that would be considered dwarf yaupon hollies. Not only are yaupons native to Louisiana, many of the most popular cultivars on the market originated in-state, such as Stokes’ Dwarf in Forest Hill, Louisiana, and Schilling’s Dwarf in Folsom. While discerning between the different dwarf varieties can be challenging, Taylor’s Rudolph provides profuse red berries which offer enhanced winter interest. Collectively, dwarf yaupon holly cultivars are best known as reliable, low-maintenance evergreen hedge species in the landscape.

Yaupon hollies are naturally suited for the seasonally wet and dry soils common in the Louisiana landscape. Dwarf yaupon hollies provide this perk in a compact, low-maintenance form that can succeed where other hedge species may suffer. Soils plagued with poor drainage and pathogen issues, such as phytophthora, make maintaining continuous hedgerows a challenge — particularly with species such as boxwoods. Dwarf yaupon hollies provide a native, nearly indistinguishable alternative — at least, to casual observers from a distance — and require little work to maintain once established. While the evergreen foliage and utility of this plant are the first features that come to mind, the inconspicuous flowers (and sometimes fruit) provide added ecosystem services and aesthetics to the landscape.

Dwarf yaupon hollies mature to 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, depending on cultivar, care and cultural practices. Sporting small, glossy, ovate, leaves (typically 0.5 inch to 1 inch in length), the dense evergreen foliage is a year-round sight that carries structure across seasons; however, a little added interest may be observed in the fresh, purple-tinged growth that can appear in spring. Flowers are not a prominent feature for landscape purposes, as the inconspicuously small white flowers in late spring are more appreciated by bees than by onlookers. The fruit that could be yielded from flowers is similarly appreciated by birds and small mammals throughout fall but may be inconsistently produced.

Yaupon hollies are dioecious, meaning that female selections (such as Taylor’s Rudolph) will set fruit, and male selections (such as Nana and Schilling’s Dwarf’) are needed to provide the pollen for fruit set but do not produce fruit on their own. Dwarf yaupon is often used just for its value as an evergreen hedge, so selecting male cultivars that do not produce fruit may be worth considering.