Ilex opaca – American Holly

Characteristics: evergreen understory tree, broad glossy leaves with sharp spines

Flowers: small white flowers May - June

Fruit: bright red berry

Growth: 15 to 50 feet tall; 18 to 40 feet wide

Shade: full sun to full shade

Habitat: forested wetlands and moist woods in sandy soil

Hydrology: facultative, irregular to seasonal inundation

Range: east coast from Maine to Florida and Texas

Comments: red berries are eaten by many species of songbirds in winter