Plant · P-1014

American Holly

Ilex opaca

American holly is a slow-growing evergreen understory tree with spiny, leathery leaves and bright red winter berries that at least eighteen bird species rely on through the cold months. Bees favor its spring flowers, and pruned hard it makes a dense, wind-resistant hedge or windbreak rather than the loosely shaped tree it becomes left alone. The berries are toxic to people in any quantity - only the roasted leaf, brewed into a caffeine-free tea, is safe to eat - so a tree planted where children play needs the fruit explained. It needs both a male and a female tree nearby to set any berries at all, and almost everything about it moves slowly: seed can take up to three years to germinate, and a seedling cannot even be sexed for five to twelve years.