I am in Tulsa, OK. I didn't mention in my original post but it has red berries that are pretty much on there year round. And now I don't know how to add photos to this post so here is a link to my flickr where i've posted the closeups of the leaves! Thanks again!! Here is a link that might be useful: Closeup of leaves

where is the root flare ??? i would take out all the new sprouts in the second to last pic ... but i probably would not take either of the large ones ... and i probably would not have bought that one to begin with ... nothing wrong with it.. but with those two trunks so close.. you dont have a lot of options ... i bring it up.. simply to make you think about it, when you buy other things in the future ... height and shape at height.. are not the only things important ... you have to consider crystal-balling the future ... ken

Just revisiting this - my apologies - I thought I had responded. Thank you for the advice! I'm assuming the left one because it's too close to the other trunk - would cause rubbing, etc as it grows? What would we be looking for to determine if the other (right) branch needs removing - the same thing (close proximity, potential for rubbing?) Also - the wrap is tanglefoot paste on some duct tape. More particularly, I used some cotton batting around the tree, wrapped in duct tape (happened to find camouflage pattern), with tanglefoot sticky stuff spread overtop. Trying to trap the female winter moths that emerge in the fall and ascend the trees to lay eggs - hatching the dreaded green worms that defoliate the tree. I couldn't hurt. Thank you!!

Mara, no I have not. Have you? Wow -- I had no idea of the qualities of our native Yaupon holly, but how interesting! From the article you linked above: "[T]here is no Spaniard or Indian who does not drink it every day in the morning and evening..." Wow -- and it grows in our own back yards, or in my case the front yard. Have we been missing something? And the 'plot' thickens: "One theory points to a conspiracy over its scientific name (Ilex vomitoria) given by William Aiton, the royal botanist to King George III. Some believe that Aiton gave yaupon this name because he was in the secret employ of the world’s first multinational corporation, the East India Company, which wanted to preserve its stranglehold over the world’s tea trade." As is often the case there is more to history than what's found in history books, or in this instance - botanical names. ~~~ This may be more than anyone cares to know about my yard and trees, but here is the Cedar elm after pruning the lower limbs to raise the canopy. I wish I had taken a before photo. The Yaupon holly's canopy, whose berries evidently supplies the mocking birds with their morning rush, shows on the mid left. See Omar's fat red bird? Bright green foliage of Arroya sweet wood is in the right foreground ...