WATCH IT GROW
Dahoon holly tree is happiest in a moist home
Posted on Sun, Oct. 21, 2007
By GEORGIA TASKER
Name:
Dahoon
holly
Botanical name:Ilex cassine
Description: From the edges of low-lying areas in the Everglades, this true holly is a Florida native useful for planting in areas that retain moisture, perhaps a lakefront. Leaves are leathery and dark green, and when the trees are young, the leaves have a few spines. There are male and female trees; this photo shows the female with red berries. The trunks are whitish, with some gray and black patches, making a lovely contrast to the leaves and fruit. The flowers occur in the spring, and fruit forms over summer but doesn't turn red until fall or winter.
Height: 25 to 40 feet
Light: full sun to light shade
Culture: Keep the soil moist after transplanting until the tree becomes established. Mulch to a depth of 3 or 4 inches and replenish twice a year to keep moisture around the roots. Good companions for this tree would be pond cypress, wax myrtle, leather ferns and other plants that like to dip their toes in moisture.
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