SafePlants

Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine)

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

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Ilex cassine L.
• Common Names: Dahoon Holly, Dahoon, Cassena, Yaupon
• Family: Aquifoliaceae (Holly Family)
• Kingdom: Not explicitly stated in the text but implied to be Plantae.
• Other Fact Sheets Symbol: ILCA
• Group: Dicot

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).
• Prefers boggy soils of wetlands.
• Rare evergreen holly found at the borders of limesink ponds the southeastern corner of North Carolina.
• Grows in shallow flatwoods’ ponds.

Ecological Role

• A common element of wetland thickets and swamps.
• Can spread in wet to mesic disturbed environments, potentially displacing native plants.
• 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 form.
• May have several trunks, unlike East Palatka holly which usually has only one.
• Branches are flexible and droopy.
• Leaves are alternate, simple, evergreen, thickened, and oblong to lanceolate (2 to unspecified unit).
• Leaves are leathery, dark green, and smooth-edged.
• Has an erect growth habit with smooth, shiny deep-green leaves that are not thorny.
• Produces bright red or yellow fruits (berries) in large clusters.

Quirky Facts

• Dahoon Holly was historically used by Native Americans as a caffeine-containing beverage.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Berries are consumed by birds and wildlife.