Dahoon Holly
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| Ilex cassine L. |
Dahoon Holly, Ilex cassine, also sometimes known as Cassena, is a holly native to the southeastern coast of North America from Virginia to southeast Texas.
It is a large shrub or small tree growing to 10-13 m tall. The leaves are evergreen, 6-15 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, glossy dark green, entire or with a few small spines near the apex of the leaf. The flowers are white, with a four-lobed corolla. The fruit is a red berry 5-6 mm diameter containing four seeds.
As with other hollies, it is dioecious with separate male and female plants. Only the females have berries, and a male pollenizer must be within range for bees to pollinate them.
[edit] Cultivation
Its original range was close to the coast, but the range has been extended by planting, because the bright red berries, are quite attractive, set against the glossy green leaves.
