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Species of holly From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ilex decidua (meadow holly, also called "possumhaw", "deciduous holly" or "swamp holly") is a species of holly native to the United States.
Ilex decidua | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Aquifoliales |
Family: | Aquifoliaceae |
Genus: | Ilex |
Species: | I. decidua |
Binomial name | |
Ilex decidua | |
Synonyms | |
Ilex curtissii (Fern.) Small |
This is an upright shrub or small tree that is typically between 10 and 15 feet at maturity though it may grow larger provided partial shade.[2][3] I. decidua grows many thin trunks and stems in a clumping fashion[3] If left un-managed it will develop a large spreading mound of foliage up to 30' in the wild. Bark is "light brown to gray" in color and may be smooth or "warty and roughened".[4] Slender twigs are glabrous and silvery gray, with numerous spur shoots, pointed lateral buds, and acuminate scales.[4]
Distinguishing features of this species are crenate leaf margins and fruiting pedicels that are 2–8 mm long.[5] Its "distinctive leaf shape... is less variable than other species of holly".[4] Leaves are obovate,[6] simple, alternating, and grow to 2.5-7.5 cm long.[4] Although the plant is deciduous, its dark green leaves do not present any appreciable fall color change prior to dropping.[3]
From March to May small white flowers bloom among the leaves which produce small Drupe fruits ripening in early autumn.[3] Fruits are red (or rarely yellow), shiny, and globose (spherical, or nearly so), with a diameter of 4–8 mm.[5][4] Following leaf drop, fruits persist on the tree throughout the winter producing a showy winter sight against the bare branches.[3] While they have reached maturity by autumn, producing 3-5 seeds each,[4] it is not until the spring, after they've been exposed to freezing and thawing, that the bitter fruits become a favorite food source of many birds and mammals.[3][4]
Ilex decidua is a common plant,[5] growing in the US in Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.[7] It also grows in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Coahuila.[8]
It prefers land in floodplains and the margins of swamps or lakes, and grows at elevations up to about 360 m.[5][4] It can often be found on limestone glades and bluffs, along streams in wet woods, and in lowland valleys, sloughs and swamps.[2] Other plant species with which possumhaw is associated include water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), overcup oak (Quercus lyrata), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and hackberry (Celtis spp.).[9]
The fruits attract songbirds and small mammals.[6][10] Bobwhite quail also feed on the fruit.[11] Deer browse on young twigs.[4]
The growth habit of I. decidua lends it to various ornamental and functional uses in its native regions.[2] The thick trunks and stems allow this plant to serve as an effective screen if desired.[3] The lower branches can also be removed to form a more tidy small tree with a tight head of foliage at the crown.[3] This plant can be used ornamentally as a shrub or small tree in varied landscape uses and is well suited to backyard gardens.[2][3] As possumhaw tolerates wet soil and is often found wild in wet woods, it is also an excellent candidate to stabilise stream beds or for the banks of water retention ponds.[2][3] Arborists may recommend this plant for parking lot buffer strips and islands, highway median strip plantings, or near decks and patios.[3]
Because of its attractive "berries", this tree is often used as a winter ornamental plant and branches may be collected for use as Christmas decorations.[4] The Audubon society specifically included I. decidua among their recommendations for bird-safe outdoor holiday decorations.[12]
Possumhaw wood is not considered to be commercially useful because of the tree's small size.[4]
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