Different Kinds of Texas Holly Trees

Holly trees of different species grow in the wild in Texas. Some are evergreen in nature, while another sheds its leaves at the end of the growing season. The Texas holly trees vary, with distinct differences in their foliage and in their form form. These trees grow mostly in the eastern half of Texas, typically in fertile soil.

The deciduous holly (Ilex decidua) is also called the possumhaw, stemming from the fact that its fruit resembles that found on many hawthorn tree species and opossums love to eat them. Deciduous holly features horizontal branches, often growing from many stems and taking the form of a small tree or large shrub. Deciduous holly can grow to 20 feet tall, notes the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees." Deciduous holly leaves are from 1 ½ to 3 inches long and oval, but their widest point is toward the end opposite the stem. These leaves, which fall off in autumn, have wavy edges.

The evergreen holly (Ilex opaca), also called the American holly, is the same holly closely linked to Christmas; its boughs and leaves are familiar Christmas symbols. American holly is the tallest of the Texas holly trees, with some as high as 50 feet and having trunks with 3-foot diameters. In the open, these tree's branches can touch the ground around the tree. The evergreen American holly has an oval leaf, from 2 to 4 inches long and possessing spiny teeth along their edges at intervals. American holly is another eastern Texas tree, growing in damp river bottomlands as far west as Wilson County

The yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), known as Cassena, is a species of holly tree in Texas that makes a fine ornamental, with extensive pruning able to turn it into a hedge. Yaupon holly frequently forms thickets, with some attaining 20 feet in height. The yaupon holly has a rounded crown of branches. Yaupon holly also retains its leaves, with this oval foliage one to 2 inches long and having a leathery texture. The teeth along the margins are blunt. Yaupon holly, with a range as far west as the Edwards Plateau, requires rich ground in which to grow.

Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine) is another evergreen Texas holly tree. Dahoon holly can grow to 40 feet high, but it typically stays in the 20 to 30-fot tall range, with a spread of from 8 to 12 feet. Dahoon foliage is 2 to 3 inches long, shiny green and possesses some serrations near the tip. As with the other Texas hollies, the ¼-inch wide berries will persist on the branches through the winter, unless birds and small mammals consume them. Only the female holly trees will produce these fruits. The Dahoon variety's fruit can sometimes be a shade of yellow. Dahoon holly thrives near bogs and swamps in southeastern parts of Texas.