Yaupon Holly
Nana
Evergreen · Foliage · No berries · Zones 7-11
Yaupon Holly
Weeping Yaupon
Cascading, weeping form dripping with red berries.
Weeping Yaupon is an evergreen yaupon holly valued for its heavy crop of red berries and its easy, resilient growth. Below is a full profile of Weeping Yaupon — its characteristics, how to grow it, whether it needs a pollinator for berries, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About Weeping Yaupon
Weeping Yaupon belongs to the yaupon holly, a group defined by an adaptable evergreen shrub or small tree, from dwarf mounds to narrow columns. Ilex vomitoria is a resilient Southern native whose small leaves and translucent red berries suit everything from clipped columns to naturalized screens.
Weeping Yaupon is evergreen and hardy across USDA zones 7-11, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right acidic, well-drained soil and seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
Weeping Yaupon makes an adaptable evergreen shrub or small tree, from dwarf mounds to narrow columns, typically around 15-20 ft tall and 4 to 12 feet wide by form. Its foliage is small, smooth, spineless leaves of fine texture. Knowing a holly's mature size and habit is the key to placing it well: give Weeping Yaupon room to reach its full spread without crowding, which also keeps air moving through the plant and disease at bay.
Berries and pollination
Weeping Yaupon is a female holly, so it carries the red berries — but only when a compatible male holly flowers within about fifty feet. Bees move the pollen; without a male in range, a female holly still flowers but sets little or no fruit.
Remember: holly is dioecious — male and female flowers grow on separate plants, and only pollinated females bear fruit. See our full guide to holly berries and pollination for how to guarantee a berry crop.
How to grow Weeping Yaupon
Plant Weeping Yaupon where it will get full sun to part shade in acidic, moist, well-drained soil. Full sun gives the densest growth and the heaviest berry set. Set the plant at the depth it grew in the pot, water it deeply while it establishes, and mulch the root zone to hold moisture and keep the soil cool and acidic.
- Light: Full sun to part shade; full sun gives the densest growth and the most berries.
- Soil: Acidic, moist, and well-drained, ideally pH 5.0–6.5. Improve heavy or alkaline ground with organic matter and keep it mulched.
- Water: Deep, regular watering while establishing; steady summer moisture helps hold the berry crop.
- Feeding: An acid-forming holly fertilizer in early spring keeps the foliage deep green.
- Pruning: Shape in late winter, before growth begins, to preserve the flowers that become berries.
Where to use Weeping Yaupon in the garden
Weeping Yaupon suits dwarf hedges and edging, topiary and columns, coastal and dry sites, and wildlife plantings. Use dwarf yaupons for low formal edging and the upright and weeping forms as living accents in tough, sunny spots.
Common problems and care
Yaupon is among the most durable hollies, tolerating heat, drought, salt, and poor soil once established in full sun to part shade. Watch for the usual holly troubles — leaf miner, scale, and spider mites, and root rot in soggy ground — and head them off with the right site, good drainage, and good air flow. Yellowing leaves usually signal alkaline soil or poor drainage rather than disease.
Weeping Yaupon — frequently asked questions
How big does Weeping Yaupon get?
Weeping Yaupon grows into an adaptable evergreen shrub or small tree, from dwarf mounds to narrow columns, typically reaching 15-20 ft tall and 4 to 12 feet wide by form. Its final size depends on your climate, the site, and how you prune it.
Does Weeping Yaupon have berries, and does it need a male holly?
Weeping Yaupon is female and bears red berries, but it needs a compatible male holly flowering within about fifty feet to pollinate it. One male can pollinate several nearby females.
Is Weeping Yaupon evergreen or deciduous?
Weeping Yaupon is evergreen, holding its small, smooth, spineless leaves of fine texture through the winter.
What hardiness zones does Weeping Yaupon grow in?
Weeping Yaupon is hardy in USDA zones 7-11. That range describes the winter cold it can survive; gardeners colder than zone 7 should give it a sheltered site or choose a hardier holly.
Is Weeping Yaupon easy to grow?
Yaupon is among the most durable hollies, tolerating heat, drought, salt, and poor soil once established in full sun to part shade. Give Weeping Yaupon an acidic, well-drained soil and the ordinary seasonal care any holly appreciates, and it is a straightforward, low-maintenance shrub.
When should I prune Weeping Yaupon?
Prune Weeping Yaupon in late winter, while it is dormant and before spring growth begins — that shapes the plant without removing the flower buds that become the next season's berries.