Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Aquifoliaceae

Genus:

Ilex

Species:

Ilex decidua

USDA Symbol:

ILDE

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

900 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun,Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

apr,may

Bloom Colors:

white

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

Reported Fauna Sightings

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fall Color:

yellow

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from roots and crown following fire. Common in bottomland forests with periodic fire regimes.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, fertile, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

Prefers floodplain and bottomland areas

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 150–240 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds exhibit double dormancy requiring warm stratification followed by cold stratification. May take two years to germinate in natural conditions.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI