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Possumhaw

The Ilex Decidua is commonly known as Bearberry, Curtiss Possumhaw, Deciduous Holly, Possumhaw, Swamp Holly, as well as Winterberry

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Growing Regions

Deciduous holly is found throughout the southeastern United States, from Virginia west to southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and eastern Kansas; south to Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, south-central Texas, and northeastern Mexico [8,10].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name for deciduous holly is Ilex decidua Walt. [8]. There are no accepted subspecies. Named varieties are as follows [20]: Ilex decidua var. decidua I. d. var. longipes (Chapm. ex Trel.) Ahles I. d. var. curtissii Fern.

Deciduous holly is not a dominant or indicator species in habitat
typings.  It occurs in a variety of cover types and has a number of
associated species.  The most common overstory and midstory associates
not previously mentioned include red maple (Acer rubrum), winged elm
(Ulmus alata), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), southern red oak (Quercus
falcata), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), tree huckleberry
(Vaccinium arboreum), American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), American
holly (Ilex opaca), and yaupon (I. vomitoria).  Understory associates
include rusty blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum), Alabama supplejack
(Berchemia scandens), trumpetcreeper (Campis radicans), grapes (Vitis
spp.), and greenbriers (Smilax spp.)  [16,18,21,23,26,27,34,37,40].

Much of the information presented here is attributed to:
Sullivan, Janet. 1993. Ilex decidua. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at USDA Forest Service.

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