Everyone is familiar with holly, the plant with shiny leaves and red berries that you use to deck the halls at Christmas. What is a possumhaw holly? It is a kind of deciduous holly native to North America. Keep reading for more possumhaw holly information. We’ll give you some tips about how to grow possumhaw hollies and possumhaw holly care.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Ilex decidua (meadow holly, also called “possumhaw”, “deciduous holly” or “swamp holly”) is a species of holly native to the United States.
This is an upright shrub or small tree that is typically between 10 and 15 feet at maturity though it may grow larger provided partial shade. I. decidua grows many thin trunks and stems in a clumping fashion If left un-managed it will develop a large spreading mound of foliage up to 30′ in the wild. Bark is “light brown to gray” in color and may be smooth or “warty and roughened”. Slender twigs are glabrous and silvery gray, with numerous spur shoots, pointed lateral buds, and acuminate scales.
Distinguishing features of this species are crenate leaf margins and fruiting pedicels that are 2–8 mm long. Its “distinctive leaf shape… is less variable than other species of holly”. Leaves are obovate, simple, alternating, and grow to 2.5-7.5 cm long. Although the plant is deciduous, its dark green leaves do not present any appreciable fall color change prior to dropping.
From March to May small white flowers bloom among the leaves which produce small Drupe fruits ripening in early autumn. Fruits are red (or rarely yellow), shiny, and globose (spherical, or nearly so), with a diameter of 4–8 mm. Following leaf drop, fruits persist on the tree throughout the winter producing a showy winter sight against the bare branches. While they have reached maturity by autumn, producing 3-5 seeds each, it is not until the spring, after they’ve been exposed to freezing and thawing, that the bitter fruits become a favorite food source of many birds and mammals.
It prefers land in floodplains and the margins of swamps or lakes, and grows at elevations up to about 360 m. It can often be found on limestone glades and bluffs, along streams in wet woods, and in lowland valleys, sloughs and swamps. Other plant species with which possumhaw is associated include water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), overcup oak (Quercus lyrata), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and hackberry (Celtis spp.).
The fruits attract songbirds and small mammals. Bobwhite quail also feed on the fruit. Deer browse on young twigs.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Possumhaw requires an environment with bright and soft light to grow. It grows well in shady places, sheltered on one side, and even in direct sunlight. Mature plants have higher fruit growth rates in places with good light. Young plants, on the other hand, need a shady place (shade cloth can be used) in summer to avoid direct sunlight and prevent sunburn.
Possumhaw kept indoors should be placed in sunny rooms, about 50 to 100 cm from the window. Do not place the plant in an environment where light is completely blocked. After extended periods of insufficient light, the plant’s photosynthetic rate will decrease. This will slow down the growth rate possibly to zero, cause thin and weak leaves, and decrease the flowering and fruiting rate.
Temperature
Possumhaw is distributed in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. It thrives in a cool and humid environment. It grows in temperatures ranging from 10 to 31 ℃, is relatively cold-resistant, and can safely overwinter outdoors at about -3 ℃. It grows well at a relative air humidity of 70%, suggesting that arid environments should be avoided.
Watering
Possumhaw grows in humid environments and is not resistant to drought. Keep the soil moist during spring and summer. If rainfall is less than 2.5 cm per week when cultivated outdoors, manual watering is required. Water once a day and ensure that the soil around the root system is completely wet. Surplus water should drain away smoothly without accumulating. Spray mist during the day to increase air humidity, which is preferably kept at 70%-90%. After the fruiting period in winter is over, gradually reduce the watering frequency to once a week, and completely drench the soil only if it is completely dry.
It is best to water possumhaw in the morning and evening because the temperature around the root system tends to rise if it is done at noon, especially in summer. This will cause damage to the plant. Use rainwater and distilled water rather than tap water, which contains a large amount of calcium and magnesium mineral salts. Long-term use of tap water will cause salinization, hardening, and poor permeability of the soil as well as affect plant growth and ornamental effect. Inadequate or excessive water will both cause the leaves to turn yellow and shed.
Soil
Possumhaw likes acidic soil with a pH value of 5-6. In neutral or alkaline soil, its leaves tend to yellow and the plant may even die. It requires humid culture media that retain water and are rich in organic matter. Humus soil with an appropriate amount of coarse sand or perlite added will increase soil permeability. A formula for the culture medium, for example, could be 1/2 leaf mold + 1/4 coarse sand or perlite + 1/4 decomposed bark.
Before putting it into the pot, the medium should be soaked in a carbendazim solution to kill any bacteria and insect eggs. Some ceramsites can be put at the bottom of the pot to improve drainage and avoid water accumulation caused by excessive daily watering. Change the soil every two years.
Fertilizing
Possumhaw does not require much fertilizer. Apply some fertilizer during the growing season to promote luxuriant branches and glossy leaves. Apply thin fertilizer once in early spring and once in early autumn. Compound fertilizer mainly composed of nitrogen fertilizer can make the leaves brighter and bigger.
Stop fertilizing when the temperature is higher than 30 ℃ in summer to prevent root damage. Insufficient fertilization can cause thin and weak plants, sparse fruits, and thin and dull leaves. Large but dull leaves may be caused by over-fertilization and signal that fertilization should be stopped immediately.
Planting Instructions
Thought its red fruits are a Christmas symbol, it is generally best to plant possumhaw in spring. Large seedlings over 2 years old are preferred for planting. plants should be spaced about 1 m apart and there should be about 1 to 1.2 m between rows. Compacting the soil and watering after planting will allow the roots to be in closer contact with the soil. It should be noted that possumhaw is dioecious, so it requires both female and male plants present to produce fruits. Successful pollination only happens when plants are spaced no more than 9 m apart. One male plant can pollinate 6-10 female plants.
Pruning
Possumhaw flowers and fruits only grow on new branches, so the plant needs to be pruned to promote the germination of new branches. It’s best to prune before early spring, ideally during winter. In addition to promptly cutting off old, yellow, dried, and diseased leaves, one-third of the old branches should be cut off from the base every year. This promotes vertical growth, flowering, and fruiting. After winter pruning in cold areas where it snows, the remaining branches can be bundled with ropes to avoid damage caused by snow or ice on the branches.
Overwintering
In winter, reduce the water supply and fertilization as necessary and provide soft and bright scattered light to promote the germination of new leaves in the following spring.
III. Uses and Benefits
The growth habit of I. decidua lends it to various ornamental and functional uses in its native regions. The thick trunks and stems allow this plant to serve as an effective screen if desired. The lower branches can also be removed to form a more tidy small tree with a tight head of foliage at the crown. This plant can be used ornamentally as a shrub or small tree in varied landscape uses and is well suited to backyard gardens. As possumhaw tolerates wet soil and is often found wild in wet woods, it is also an excellent candidate to stabilise stream beds or for the banks of water retention ponds. Arborists may recommend this plant for parking lot buffer strips and islands, highway median strip plantings, or near decks and patios.
Because of its attractive “berries”, this tree is often used as a winter ornamental plant and branches may be collected for use as Christmas decorations. The Audubon society specifically included I. decidua among their recommendations for bird-safe outdoor holiday decorations.
Possumhaw wood is not considered to be commercially useful because of the tree’s small size.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
In suitable growth conditions, possumhaw blooms and bears fruits once a year. The fruits appear in fall and winter, and can be appreciated for a long time before picking. Without birds in the yard, the fruits often persist into the next spring. The vase life of fruit-bearing branches after picking is about 20-40 days.
Use sharp garden shears when picking and cut the base of branches at a 45-degree angle, or make the cut into a cross, to increase the water absorption area. Quickly put the cutting in a vase with clean water to avoid water loss. The fruits of Ilex verticillata can also be air-dried since they tend to not drop from the branches. Their colors will change from bright red to deep red, providing good ornamental value.
