Ilex cassine L.

Dahoon Holly; Cassena

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Dahoon Holly is a native evergreen shrub or small tree in the Holly family (Aquifoliaceae). It can be found in the southern third of Alabama. Dahoon Holly grows around cypress ponds, in pine flatwoods, in bay swamps, in pitcher plant bogs, and in steep-heads. It can grow as a multi-trunked shrub or small single trunked tree reaching heights of 20-30 feet. The bark is light gray or tan and smooth. Young twigs are pubescent. Leaves are alternate, evergreen, petiolate, obovate or lanceolate in outline, with entire margins or occasionally with a few teeth. The margins are often revolute. The leaves are thick in texture, glabrous above and pubescent along the midrib below, dark green in color above and paler green below. Dahoon Holly is dioecious, with male and female flowers occurring on separate plants. The flowers are solitary or in 3-4 flowered cymes from the axils of the leaves. Flowers have four greenish-white petals. The fruit is a drupe. The drupes range in color from blood red through orange and rarely yellow. Dahoon Holly has gained in popularity as a landscape plant in recent years. It can be purchased from many nurseries and several named selections are available. Plants can also be grown from cuttings or from seed (they usually take two years to sprout). Dahoon Holly can be pruned into a hedge or grown in tree form in small lawns or along streets. At least one male plant must be present for fruit formation. The fruit are consumed by a variety of wildlife, and the foliage is a larval food for Henry's Elfin (Callophrys Henrici) and Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops) butterflies.—A. Diamond.

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Native FACW (NWPL)

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