Holly BushesA Grower's Guide to Holly
Holly Types

Yaupon Holly

Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) is a tough, drought- and salt-tolerant Southern native with small smooth leaves and translucent red berries — superb for dwarf hedges, topiary, and columns.

The toughest holly

Ilex vomitoria is one of the most adaptable hollies, native to the Southeast and unbothered by heat, drought, salt, and poor soil. Its small, spineless leaves and fine texture suit clipping, and dwarf forms like Nana and Stokes Dwarf are ubiquitous low landscape shrubs. Upright and weeping forms — Will Fleming, Pride of Houston, and the weeping yaupon — make dramatic accents.

Quick tip: dwarf yaupons ('Nana', 'Stokes Dwarf') are male selections grown for foliage, so they carry no berries; choose an upright female like Pride of Houston if you want fruit.

Growing yaupon holly

It takes full sun to part shade and almost any drainage, thriving in USDA zones 7 to 11. Once established it is exceptionally drought-tolerant. Shear or prune anytime during the growing season.

Popular yaupon holly

The 7 hollies below are among the most widely grown and dependable in this group. Each profile covers foliage, sex and pollination, berries, size, hardiness, and how to grow it well.