S & J Nursery’s guide to growing
Upright Yaupon Holly
in the Northeast Florida Landscape
Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly 
Origins:
– Native to North America, including Florida.
Preferred Exposure of the Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly:
– Upright Yaupon Holly trees can be grown in a full sun or partial
shade location in our Jacksonville and St. Augustine area landscapes.
Foliage | Bark of the Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly :
– Evergreen, oval leaves are dark green above and have NO blackish or dark brown pores on the bottom of the leaf ( An identification tool that helps differentiate it from Compacta Holly bushes that are also common in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine area landscape). Leaves are .5 -1.5
inches long with a 1/8 inch petiole.
– Bark on the Upright Yaupon Holly tree is a white to grey color. Usually multi trunked, upright branches.
Soil Preference / Salt tolerance of the Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly:
– Tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions clay, sand, loam, acidic,
alkaline.
– Can be planted into dry soils as well as soils that are occasionally wet.
– High salt tolerance.
Size Variance of the Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly :
– Ilex Vomitoria trees are usually found in the Northeast Florida landscapes
at sizes of 15-25 feet H | 15-20+ feet W.
Growth Habit:
– Upright rounded to upright vase shape in form.
Growth Rate of the Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly:
– Moderate to fast growing, expect Upright Yaupon Holly trees to grow anywhere from 1-3 feet per year in height depending on water and nutrient availability. Responds well to heavy fertilization.
Blooms and Fruits of the Ilex vomitoria / 
Upright Yaupon Holly:
-Inconspicuous greenish white flowers give way to beautiful red drupes in
the fall on female plants.
– The 1/4 inch fruits on female plants attract birds to the landscape. And the
leaves contain caffeine and can be used to make a coffee replacement or caffeine tea.
Water Requirements of the Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly :
– Drought tolerant selection! Water well during the establishment period after being planted into the landscape from the S & J Nursery container.
Butterfly or Bird Attracting:
– Fruits attract birds to the landscape.
Best Uses For Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly :
– Easy care native landscapes plant selection for the Northeast
Florida garden.
– Low trimming requirements and dense foliage growth makes Yaupon Holly an ideal landscape choice for informal or natural looking privacy screens or property barriers.
– Ideal for hedges, specimen plantings and espalier forms.
– Female plants produce berries that attract birds to the garden.
Care of the Ilex vomitoria / Upright Yaupon Holly :
– In formal garden settings, consider cleaning up foliage at the base to
expose the bright grey to white wood on the trunks. Prune down suckers as they develop from underneath the foliage canopy each year.
– Allow to grow untrimmed for natural property boundaries, plants will form thickets of impenetrable foliage.
– Water every day during the establishment period. See watering your newly planted trees for more information.
Drought tolerant and will not require additional irrigation after rooted and established into the landscape.
– Fertilize each spring and again in summer if trying to get them to
grow quickly with a mixture of Milorganite and a slow release poly coated plant food such as Osmocote or Stay Green general purpose plant food, sprinkling the fertilizer around the mulch circle underneath the foliage of the tree