SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 22782.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "22782" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

dahoon

Scientific Name: Ilex cassine

Family: Aquifoliaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Tree, Shrub

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine)

Dahoon Holly, also known as Cassena or Yaupon, is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the southeastern coast of North America.

Considerations for Pets

  • Dahoon Holly produces berries that may be attractive to pets.

Considerations for Children

  • Some sources suggest Dahoon Holly is related to poison ivy and can cause skin rashes in some individuals.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Ilex cassine L.
  • Common Names: Dahoon Holly, Cassena, Yaupon
  • Family: Aquifoliaceae
  • Group: Dicot
  • Symbol: ILCA

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to the southeastern coast of North America.
  • Found in the United States from Virginia to southeast Texas.
  • Also found in Mexico (Veracruz) and the Caribbean (Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico).
  • Typically grows in boggy soils and wetlands.
  • Rare evergreen holly at the borders of limesink ponds the southeastern corner of North Carolina.

Ecological Role

  • A common element of wetland thickets and swamps.
  • May spread in wet to mesic disturbed environments, potentially displacing native plants.
  • The berries provide a food source for birds and wildlife during the winter.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Evergreen shrub or small tree, typically 20-30 feet high and 8-15 feet wide.
  • Can be tightly clipped into a tall screen or allowed to grow naturally into a single-trunked tree.
  • May have several trunks, unlike East Palatka holly which typically has only one.
  • Branches are flexible and droopy.
  • Leaves are alternate, simple, evergreen, thickened, oblong to lanceolate, and 2 to 3.5 inches long.
  • Leaves are smooth-edged, glossy, and medium-green.
  • Produces bright red or yellow berries in large clusters. Two Dahoon Hollies must be planted to ensure berry production.
  • Erect growth habit with smooth, shiny, deep-green leaves that are not thorny.

Further Information

  • Specimen details are available in the USF Herbarium.
  • Dave's Garden provides tips and ideas for gardens.