Yaupon Ilex vomitoria 'Taylor's Rudolph'

Taylor's Rudolph Yaupon Holly is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form that fills out down to the ground. It is a low-growing dwarf with a fine texture, plenty of red berries in fall and glossy dark green leaves all year long. Plants of this species are dioecious (separate male and female plants) and female plants need a male pollinator in the area in order to bear fruit. Being a female variety, it requires a male selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit such as ‘Schilling’s Dwarf’,  Possomhaw or American Holly.

It is adaptable to a wide range of soil types and is drought tolerant once established but tolerates temporary wet conditions. It does best in full sun to partial shade and is salt tolerant but will not do well in urban pollution settings as parking lots. It is a slow to moderate grower.

The spring flowers are not ornamental significant but attract pollinators. In the fall and winter, the birds enjoy the berries. It can be used as a formal hedge, a specimen or as a foundation plant. It can also be grown in containers. Prune in winter if needed.

Fire Risk:

This plant has a high flammability rating and should not be planted within the defensible space of your home. Select plants with a low flammability rating for the sites nearest your home. 

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No insect or disease problems when planted in their native habitat.  Holly leaf miner, spider mites,  apids, whitefly, and scale are occasional problems. Leaf spot, leaf rot, tar spot, and powdery mildew are potential disease problems.

More information on Ilex vomitoria.