Yaupon 'Pride of Houston'
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Ilex vomitoria 'Pride of Houston'
Ilex vomitoria, affectionately known as Yaupon, is a delightful native shrub or small tree that graces various landscapes such as sandy woods, dunes, open fields, forest edges, and wet swamps. You can often spot it along the beautiful coastal plains and maritime forests, thriving from Virginia down to Florida, Arkansas, and Texas. This charming evergreen typically grows upright with an irregularly branched form, reaching a delightful height of 10 to 20 feet and a width of around 10 feet. However, growing even taller in the right conditions might surprise you. The glossy, dark green leaves are leathery and elegantly shaped, with their lovely elliptic to ovate-oblong form featuring subtle toothed margins. In the spring, small greenish-white flowers bloom on male and female plants, filling the air with subtle fragrance, although they’re often inconspicuous. After pollination, the female plants proudly display their berry-like red fruits, which ripen in the fall and can last through the winter, attracting joyful birds along the way.
Historically, Native American tribes have used leaves to brew a ceremonial emetic drink. When consumed in large amounts, this drink is believed to cleanse the digestive system. This unique characteristic is where the plant got its intriguing specific epithet.
Yaupon is wonderfully adaptable and can thrive in various soils, whether dry or wet and in full sun to partial shade. It generally handles drought better than many other hollies, too. If you need to prune, doing so in winter is best. Remember, Yaupon is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female plants. To enjoy the fruits, female plants must have a male pollinator nearby. If you don't want it to naturalize, make sure to remove any root suckers that may appear promptly.
BONAP MAP
Height: 10’-20'
Spread 8’-'2’
Bloom: April
Light: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water: Medium, High
Zone: 7, 8, 9
Origin: Southeastern United States
Spring Shipping:
Orders are shipped within 7-10 business days. We will email you if there are expected delays.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
