Andie Rathbone

PLANTS WE lOVE: POSSUMHAW HOLLY

Want a plant that really stands out in a winter landscape? Why not try a Posssumhaw holly? Its fire-engine red berries pop and draw everyone’s eyes to your garden.

The Possumhaw holly (Ilex decidua) is a small deciduous tree that is native to the southeastern and central United States and performs well in Zones 5 to 9. At maturity it grows 15 to 30 feet tall. It can also be pruned to be a large shrub measuring 8 feet tall by 8 to 10 feet wide. It has glossy oval leaves that remain green through the fall. It blooms in May with flowers one hardly notices. This plant is notable for its standout red berries that appear in the winter and provide food for opossums, raccoons and other small mammals, as well as songbirds and game birds.

Possumhaw can be planted in full sun to shade. However, when planted in full sun it will have more berries and its growth will be more vigorous. Possumhaw also does well as an understory tree. It will grow well in most types of soil, from acid to alkaline, from dry to a bit damp. But do not plant Possumhaw where it might experience “wet feet.”

There are a number of named Possumhaw cultivars — including Warren’s Red, Council Fire and Byer’s Golden — that do not breed true from seed from the berries, so purchase them from a nursery. To be sure of a female tree, choose one at a nursery in the fall or winter when the berries are present. Male trees must be in the vicinity for a female tree to have berries; fortunately male trees abound in Northeast Texas, so this is not an issue.

Possumhaw should be watered well immediately after planting and then every two to three weeks during the first growing season if there is no rain. Like most native plants, it should not be overwatered. After the first growing season, Possumhaw should survive with existing rainfall because it is very drought- and heat tolerant.

Possumhaw branches can become quite dense, and it can be pruned at any time of year if it becomes too thick. Possumhaw’s dense habit, however, is a plus for home decorators because its branches with the bright berries are especially welcome in winter floral arrangements and its dense structure provides an excellent nesting site for birds.