Flowers and Plants
Gardening Guides
Plant Ilex Cassine for a Privacy Screen That Feeds the Birds
Dahoon and its hybrids provide lovely evergreen foliage in southeastern U.S. gardens
Dahoon (Ilex cassine) is a large holly shrub or small tree native to the Southeast. It regularly hybridizes with American holly (Ilex opaca) to form the Ilex x attenuata hybrid group. Together, the straight species and its hybrids make for an excellent evergreen plant palette that is easy to maintain in the landscape, and all are readily available at nurseries. Birds love to feast on the bright red berries that appear in fall and winter, and the evergreen foliage makes a dense privacy screen.
Photo by Marianne Serra
Distinguishing traits. Dahoon holly’s most distinguishing trait is its bright red drupe berries that are ¼ inch in diameter and visible on the plant throughout fall and into the winter. Birds adore these red berries and will pick the plant clean by the year’s end.
The overall form of dahoon is upright, with a uniform shape that can be slightly pyramidal when mature. Its attractive bark is also notable for its mottled gray and white coloring.
Distinguishing traits. Dahoon holly’s most distinguishing trait is its bright red drupe berries that are ¼ inch in diameter and visible on the plant throughout fall and into the winter. Birds adore these red berries and will pick the plant clean by the year’s end.
The overall form of dahoon is upright, with a uniform shape that can be slightly pyramidal when mature. Its attractive bark is also notable for its mottled gray and white coloring.
Dahoon’s small, inconspicuous flowers bloom in spring. Photo by Ebyabe
How to use it. Use dahoon as an evergreen hedge or privacy screen because of its extremely uniform upright shape. It can be grown as a small, upright tree in a tight row for a privacy screen or as an evergreen allée where you want a uniform double row of small trees. Prune annually to maintain dense foliage.
Dahoon can also be used alone as a specimen tree in the garden.
How to use it. Use dahoon as an evergreen hedge or privacy screen because of its extremely uniform upright shape. It can be grown as a small, upright tree in a tight row for a privacy screen or as an evergreen allée where you want a uniform double row of small trees. Prune annually to maintain dense foliage.
Dahoon can also be used alone as a specimen tree in the garden.
Newly planted ‘Eagleston’ holly (Ilex x attenuata ‘Eagleston’) will grow in to provide privacy to this backyard pool.
Planting notes. Dahoon is available as a container-grown plant throughout the South in various standard gallon sizes, ranging from 10-gallon up to 60-gallon, and mature specimens are available in even larger sizes.
Nurseries sell dahoon either as a single-stem tree-like plant or in a wider, shrubby multistem form. Look for the form that works best for where you want to plant it, keeping in mind that it will naturally mature to be taller than wide.
Dahoon is dioecious, like all holly species, meaning it has separate male and female plants. To produce berries, at least one male plant is required to cross pollinate with a group of several female plants.
Planting notes. Dahoon is available as a container-grown plant throughout the South in various standard gallon sizes, ranging from 10-gallon up to 60-gallon, and mature specimens are available in even larger sizes.
Nurseries sell dahoon either as a single-stem tree-like plant or in a wider, shrubby multistem form. Look for the form that works best for where you want to plant it, keeping in mind that it will naturally mature to be taller than wide.
Dahoon is dioecious, like all holly species, meaning it has separate male and female plants. To produce berries, at least one male plant is required to cross pollinate with a group of several female plants.
‘Eagleston’ hollies create a row of evergreen foliage.
Hybrids and garden selections. Ilex cassine naturally hybridizes with American holly (Ilex opaca) to produce a group of plants with a similar upright growth habit, with the botanical name Ilex x attenuata. This group is very resilient in the South and used extensively in the landscape. You might find hybrid hollies planted in parking lots and public spaces as well as residential gardens.
Cultivated varieties of this hybrid available at nurseries include ‘Eagleston’, ‘Savannah’, ‘East Palatka’ and ‘Fosteri’. The ‘Fosteri’ hybrid has the brightest colored fruit and is not as wide at the base.
Hybrids and garden selections. Ilex cassine naturally hybridizes with American holly (Ilex opaca) to produce a group of plants with a similar upright growth habit, with the botanical name Ilex x attenuata. This group is very resilient in the South and used extensively in the landscape. You might find hybrid hollies planted in parking lots and public spaces as well as residential gardens.
Cultivated varieties of this hybrid available at nurseries include ‘Eagleston’, ‘Savannah’, ‘East Palatka’ and ‘Fosteri’. The ‘Fosteri’ hybrid has the brightest colored fruit and is not as wide at the base.
‘Savannah’ holly (Ilex x attenuata ‘Savannah’) is planted in this garden in a small space between the fence and patio, providing an evergreen screen between neighbors with its uniform shape. ‘Savannah’ holly has multiple spines on the leaf margin and is hardy to Zone 6.
‘East Palatka’ holly (Ilex x attenuata ‘Palatka’) is a naturally occurring hybrid originally found in Palatka, Florida. It was brought into cultivation in the nursery trade because of its handsome form and ability to thrive in sandy soils in high humidity throughout the coastal Southeast.
‘East Palatka’ holly has graceful, open branches in areas where it can spread its limbs. Like its relatives, dahoon and American hollies, ‘East Palatka’ holly is a wonderful food source for birds and a reliable evergreen plant in the South.
This hybrid can be distinguished from its relatives by the single spine on the end of the leaves.
More
Feed the Birds: 6 Plants for Abundant Winter Berries
See more Great Design Plants
‘East Palatka’ holly has graceful, open branches in areas where it can spread its limbs. Like its relatives, dahoon and American hollies, ‘East Palatka’ holly is a wonderful food source for birds and a reliable evergreen plant in the South.
This hybrid can be distinguished from its relatives by the single spine on the end of the leaves.
More
Feed the Birds: 6 Plants for Abundant Winter Berries
See more Great Design Plants
Botanical name: Ilex cassine
Common names: Dahoon, dahoon holly
Origin: Native to the coastal southeastern U.S. but can be planted inland
Where it will grow: Hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 12.2 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 7 to 9; find your zone)
Water requirement: Prefers moist soil
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 10 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide; can grow larger in ideal conditions
Benefits and tolerances: Great for erosion control; very low-maintenance; shade-tolerant; high wind tolerance
Seasonal interest: Evergreen foliage; berries in winter
When to plant: Fall is best; it can be planted year-round in the South.