Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Aquifoliaceae

Genus:

Ilex

Species:

Ilex cassine

USDA Symbol:

ILCA

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

1200 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may

Bloom Colors:

white, cream

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★☆☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from root crown following fire. Common in fire-maintained wetland margins and flatwoods.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, acidic, sandy or peaty soil

pH:

4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

commonly found in wetlands and swamps

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–365 days

Notes:

Ilex seeds exhibit double dormancy; warm stratification followed by cold stratification is required. Germination can be erratic and may take over a year.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI