10 Seeds Ilex opaca American Holly Evergreen Tree Hardy Ornamental Landscape

Ilex opaca, commonly called American Holly, is a broadleaf evergreen tree valued for its glossy, spiny green leaves and bright red berries on female plants in fall and winter. It grows into a pyramidal to oval shape over time and serves as a long-lasting ornamental feature in gardens and landscapes. The foliage provides year-round structure and contrast, making it a popular choice for hedges, specimen plantings, and mixed borders.

With its dense habit and classic holiday-appeal foliage, American Holly works well in wildlife-friendly and traditional landscape settings. Female trees produce colorful berries when a male pollinator is present nearby, while the evergreen leaves offer texture and screening through every season. Seeds can be sown in fall or stratified for spring sowing.
Species: Ilex opaca
Type: Evergreen tree
Plant_Habit: Upright, pyramidal to oval
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Well-drained, acidic, moist soils
Zones: 5 to 9
Germination: Slow and often requires cold stratification
Sowing: Sow in fall or cold-stratify before spring sowing
Spacing: 15 to 25 feet apart for trees
Notes: Female plants produce red berries when pollinated by a male plant