Possumhaw (Ilex decidua)

Possumhaw is one of our native hollies. It grows into a large
bushy shrub or small tree. In the wild it can get 20 to 30 feet
tall and form large colonies as it suckers at the base of the
plant. The leaves are dark green in the summer and turn
yellow in the fall. The stems are usually a light gray. The trunks
of larger specimens can be lovely, mottled with gray and
brown. The fruits are orange to scarlet berries that ripen
in September and can last until April. After the leaves drop,
they are very showy against the bare gray stems. Only
the females produce berries and a male Possumhaw or
American Holly (Ilex opaca) is required for fertilization. Our
female Possumhaw has a heavy berry set this year. Her male
partner is right behind her. Their branches intertwine. Our
Possumhaws are mature small trees with lovely bark and
abundant red berries. They are near the greenhouse.