Yaupon

Ilex vomitoria

Family: Aquifoliaceace

Plant Description: Evergreen shrub or small tree to 3 m high or more with elliptic leaves 1-3.5 cm long, shiny above, simple, alternate with toothed margins. Has short, stout, rigid twigs. Flowers (unisexual rarely perfect) with petals 2-3 mm long, axillary. Calyx lobes, petals, and stamens 4. Fruits about 5 mm wide, red drupe.

Plant Trivia:

Field Identification:

Occurrence: Common in sandy oak woods along the coast from AMWR to Flour Bluff.

Bloom Period: Marich-April

Plant Use: Fruit eaten by several passerine birds including robins and cedar waxwings; consumed by raccoons and opossums.