possumhaw
Ilex decidua
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size7 to 15 feet tall5 to 12 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Dull white
- Foliage color
- Green above, paler below
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) is a shrub for borders, hedges, specimen planting, and winter interest. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to wet soil of most types. Female plants hold clusters of red berries on bare gray twigs through winter, and songbirds eat the fruit. Deer tend to browse other plants first. Glossy green leaves turn yellow in autumn before they drop.
Pairs well with Spicebush, Switchgrass, Blue wild indigo, and River birch.
Native range
Southeastern and central United States.