Georgia Wildlife Federation

Resources < Wildlife Habitats < Guide to Native Plants of Georgia for Wildlife < Ilex cassine

The Dahoon Holly is a tree endemic to the Atlantic Coastal Plain, where it grows in the wet woods and swamps of southern Georgia. Its fruits are enjoyed by an enormous variety of wildlife including many birds and mammals, while its nectar and foliage is attractive to many butterflies and moths as well as their larvae. It makes an attractive screen or specimen near moist areas. Its dense, evergreen cover provides birds and insect life with nesting habitats and safety to enjoy both its fruits and nectar.

Dahoon’s twigs and leaves, like its close relative the Yaupon Holly, were used by southeastern Native American groups to brew a tea called “asse”or “asi” (known to Europeans as ‘The Black Drink’). It was used in male purification rituals, where it cleansed and eliminated toxins from the body. It also contained a great deal of caffeine. For that reason, it was used by early American settlers as a substitute for coffee when the price of it became prohibitive.

Good companion plants include Yaupon Holly, American Holly, Live Oak, native palms (Sabal Palmetto, Dwarf Palmetto, Needle Palm, Saw Palmetto), Southern Redcedar, Atlantic Whitecedar, Baldcypress, Pondcypress, Oaks, Waxmyrtle, Sparkleberry, and Blueberries.

Family: Aquifoliaceae (Holly)

Description: Small evergreen understory tree with a narrow, upward-pointing crown and dense branches. Bark is thin, dark gray, very smooth when young but later finely scaly. Leaves are alternate, simple, evergreen, thick, oblong to lanceolate, 2-4” long, and possess an entire margin and sometimes a sharp point at the leaf apex. Plants are dioecious and flower in late spring or early summer. Males are small, greenish-white, and appear in short, branched clusters. Females have 4 small greenish-white petals and occur solitarily or in small clusters. Fruits are red or sometimes yellow round berry-like drupes, ¼-1/3” in diameter, ripen in fall, and persist through winter.

Size: Up to 30 feet tall; height increases with access to water

Habit: Small evergreen understory tree with a narrow, upward-pointing crown

Growth Rate: Moderate

Light: Adaptable from full sun to deep shade, but flowers more with increased light

Planting and Care: Dahoon prefers a light soil with a great deal of sand as well as organic matter. It adapts to dry locations but requires supplemental watering of at least 2” per week to succeed in the dryness of summer. It is hardy from USDA Zones 5-10.

Ornamental Value: Assets include the dense evergreen foliage, the bright red berries useful for holiday decorations, and the tree’s adaptability in terms of moisture and light levels.

Landscape Use: Dahoon makes an excellent screen because of its large size and evergreen foliage. It is the perfect choice for plantings near water or in wet locations, such as near lakes, streams, or in swamps. It can be used as a specimen, naturalized in moist, sandy woods as an understory tree, or planted in rows as a windbreak or screen. It is also a candidate to consider for attracting and supporting game and songbird populations.

Wildlife Benefits: Larval host plant for Henry’s Elfin butterfly. Nectar is fed upon by a wide variety of moths at night. The fruits are eaten and spread by the cedar waxwing, mockingbird, and other songbirds as well as game birds. Fruits are an important food source to overwintering and migrating avian life.

Native Habitat: Native to the Atlantic Coastal Plain from Virginia south to Florida and west to Louisiana. It favors swamps, areas of brackish water, maritime woods, pond or lake margins, floodplains, and pocosins.

Propagation: Sow seed shortly before it is ripe for best results. Otherwise, seed will need to be scarified and given both warm and cold treatments to germinate. Semi-hardwood cuttings also work, as does layering. Division of suckers is usually successful.