Dwarf Yaupon Holly

Dwarf Yaupon Holly is a compact evergreen shrub, the low mounding form of a holly native to the Southeast. Ilex vomitoria 'Schillings' carries small, spineless dark green leaves that show a reddish cast when new, and its dense rounded outline holds with little pruning, which is why it fills so many foundation beds, low hedges, and mass plantings. Plant it in full sun to part shade in USDA zones 7 through 10. It commonly holds 3 to 5 feet tall and at least as wide, reaching 6 feet or more unsheared, and it takes clipping well. It adapts to sand, loam, or clay across acidic to slightly alkaline soils, handles drought once established, tolerates periodic flooding, and stands up to salt spray for coastal yards. Yaupon is dioecious, and this cultivar is male, so it never sets the red berries the species is known for.