Te 🛑 Endangered

Ilex cookii

Taxonomy

Division:: Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:: Aquifoliaceae
Genus:: Ilex
Species:: Ilex cookii

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:: Perennial
Growth Habit:: Shrub , Tree
Light Requirements:: Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:: Low
Bloom Months:: may
Landscaping Shrub:: Yes

Native Range

United States: Puerto Rico

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:: ★★☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Bee Keystone:: ★★★★★ Based on number of native bee species using this genus for pollen and nectar (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Bombus spec (Bombus spec), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), bumblebee (Bombus Latreille), bumblebee (Bombus Latreille), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Confusing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus), Confusing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus), Crotch bumble bee (Bombus crotchii), Crotch bumble bee (Bombus crotchii), Cryptic bumble bee (Bombus cryptarum), Cryptic bumble bee (Bombus cryptarum), Drury's long-horned bee (Melissodes druriellus), Drury's long-horned bee (Melissodes druriellus), Eastern thistle longhorn bee (Melissodes desponsus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fernald's bumblebee (Bombus fernaldae), Fernald's bumblebee (Bombus fernaldae), Forest bumble bee (Bombus sylvicola), Forest bumble bee (Bombus sylvicola), Frigid Bumble Bee (Bombus frigidus), Frigid Bumble Bee (Bombus frigidus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), High country bumble bee (Bombus kirbiellus), High country bumble bee (Bombus kirbiellus), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Lemon cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus citrinus), Lemon cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus citrinus), long-horned bees (Melissodes Latreille), Morrison bumble bee (Bombus morrisoni), Morrison bumble bee (Bombus morrisoni), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Northern amber bumble bee (Bombus borealis), Obscure bumble bee (Bombus caliginosus), Obscure bumble bee (Bombus caliginosus), Orange-tipped Wood-digger Bee (Anthophora terminalis), Orange-tipped Wood-digger Bee (Anthophora terminalis), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis), Sanderson bumble bee (Bombus sandersoni), Sanderson bumble bee (Bombus sandersoni), Sitka bumble bee (Bombus sitkensis), Sitka bumble bee (Bombus sitkensis), small carpenter bees (Ceratina Latreille), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Spurred Small Carpenter Bee (Ceratina calcarata), Spurred Small Carpenter Bee (Ceratina calcarata), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), (Apis mellifera), (Apis mellifera), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Xylocopa virginica (Xylocopa virginica), Xylocopa virginica (Xylocopa virginica), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola), Yellow-banded bumble bee (Bombus terricola), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) Hummingbirds: Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna), Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) Sweat Bees: confusing sweat bee (Halictus confusus), confusing sweat bee (Halictus confusus), Golden Sweat Bee (Augochlorella aurata), Golden Sweat Bee (Augochlorella aurata), Green metallic bee (Agapostemon virescens), Green metallic bee (Agapostemon virescens), Lasioglossum Curtis (Lasioglossum Curtis), orange-legged furrow bee (Halictus rubicundus), orange-legged furrow bee (Halictus rubicundus), pickerelweed shortface bee (Dufourea novaeangliae), Pure green sweat bee (Augochlora pura), Pure green sweat bee (Augochlora pura), Quebec sweat bee (Lasioglossum quebecense), Quebec sweat bee (Lasioglossum quebecense), Sweat bee (Halictus ligatus), Sweat bee (Halictus ligatus) Leafcutter Bees: Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia lignaria), Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia lignaria), bufflehead mason bee (Osmia bucephala), bufflehead mason bee (Osmia bucephala), European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum), European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum), pugnate leafcutter bee (Megachile pugnata), pugnate leafcutter bee (Megachile pugnata) Moths:Parasitoid wasp (Eucosma impatiens) Butterflies:Alberta Arctic (Oeneis alberta), Alberta Arctic (Oeneis alberta), American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), American Snout (Libytheana carinenta), American Snout (Libytheana carinenta), Arctic Blue (Agriades glandon), Arctic Blue (Agriades glandon), Arctic White (Pieris angelika), Arctic White (Pieris angelika), Azure sp. (Celastrina Tutt), Barred Yellow (Eurema daira), Barred Yellow (Eurema daira), Black Dash (Euphyes conspicua), Black Dash (Euphyes conspicua), Bog Elfin (Callophrys lanoraieensis), Bog Elfin (Callophrys lanoraieensis), Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia), Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia), Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus), Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus), (Pieris rapae), (Pieris rapae), California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica), California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica), Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus canadensis), Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus), Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus), Cherry Gall Azure (Celastrina serotina), Cherry Gall Azure (Celastrina serotina), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis), Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis), Common Swallowtails (Papilio Linnaeus), Cranberry Blue (Plebejus optilete), Cranberry Blue (Plebejus optilete), Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole), Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole), Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan), Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan), Dusky Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes alternata), Dusky Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes alternata), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes), Eastern Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes), Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon), Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala), Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Gray Comma (Polygonia progne), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus), Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus), Great Southern White (Ascia monuste), Great Southern White (Ascia monuste), Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae), Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae), Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius), Hessel's Hairstreak (Callophrys hesseli), Hessel's Hairstreak (Callophrys hesseli), Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis), Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis), Horace's Duskywing (Gesta Evans), Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus), Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus), Large Heath (Coenonympha tullia), Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela), Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela), Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa), Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa), Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus), Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus), Marine Blue (Leptotes marina), Marine Blue (Leptotes marina), Mcneill's Saltbush Sootywing (Hesperopsis gracielae), Mcneill's Saltbush Sootywing (Hesperopsis gracielae), Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa), Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa), Mexican Cloudywing (Thorybes mexicana), Mexican Cloudywing (Thorybes mexicana), Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti), Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti), Mohave Sootywing (Hesperopsis libya), Mohave Sootywing (Hesperopsis libya), ⚠️Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta), Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta), Northern Azure (Celastrina lucia), Northern Azure (Celastrina lucia), Northern Blue (Plebejus idas), Northern Blue (Plebejus idas), Northern Cloudywing (Cecropterus Herrich-Schäffer), Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta), Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta), Northern Pearly-eye (Lethe anthedon), Northern Pearly-eye (Lethe anthedon), Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola), Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola), Pacuvius Duskywing (Erynnis pacuvius), Pacuvius Duskywing (Erynnis pacuvius), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Palamedes Swallowtail (Pterourus palamedes), Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon), Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon), Queen (Danaus gilippus), Queen (Danaus gilippus), Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra), Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra), Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola), Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Red-spotted Admiral (Limenitis arthemis), Red-spotted Admiral (Limenitis arthemis), Ross's Alpine (Erebia rossii), Ross's Alpine (Erebia rossii), Russet Skipperling (Piruna pirus), Russet Skipperling (Piruna pirus), Sachem (Atalopedes Scudder), Salt Marsh Skipper (Panoquina panoquin), Salt Marsh Skipper (Panoquina panoquin), Saltbush Sootywing (Hesperopsis alpheus), Saltbush Sootywing (Hesperopsis alpheus), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus), Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe), Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe), Southern Broken-Dash (Polites otho), Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia), Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia), Southern Skipperling (Copaeodes minima), Southern Skipperling (Copaeodes minima), Spicebush Swallowtail (Pterourus troilus), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Thicket Hairstreak (Callophrys spinetorum), Thicket Hairstreak (Callophrys spinetorum), Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus), Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii), Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii), Western Arctic Skipper (Carterocephalus skada), Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon), Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon), Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis), Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis), Western Tailed-Blue (Cupido amyntula), Western Tailed-Blue (Cupido amyntula), Western Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus rutulus), Whirlabout (Polites vibex), Whirlabout (Polites vibex), White Checkered-Skipper (Burnsius albezens), White Checkered-Skipper (Burnsius albezens), White Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus albescens), White Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus albescens), White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae), White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae), White-veined Arctic (Oeneis bore), White-veined Arctic (Oeneis bore), Yellow Dotted Alpine (Erebia pawloskii), Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco), Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco), Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia), Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:: rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:: 5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic)
Drainage:: excellent drainage required
Moisture:: consistently moist
Notes:: native to cloud forests, prefers organic matter