Ilex vomitoria 'Schilling's Dwarf'

Schillings Dwarf Yaupon

A tough native of the southern United States, Yaupon Holly grows quickly in a variety of locations, from full sun or shade to seaside or swamps, in sand or clay. Crowns will be thin in the shade. It will grow in soil with a pH in the 7's and is very tolerant of drought and sea salt.

The symmetrical, dense, rounded form of 'Schillings' Dwarf Holly requires infrequent pruning to maintain its 4 to 6-foot height and spread. Older plants grow taller and can become quite wide as roots produce sprouts at the edge of the canopy. Ideally suited as low-growing foundation plants, Schillings Dwarf Holly works well as a tall ground cover for it forms a low dense cover of green foliage when planted in mass. It is often sheared into low hedges in formal gardens, similar to the boxwoods in the early American gardens. It is better suited for maintaining as a small hedge than `Nana' because leaves are smaller. The small, dark green leaves have a reddish cast when they are young and no spines. This cultivar of a male plant will produce no berries. It is synonymous with `Stokes Dwarf'.

Growing well in sun or light shade in soils from dry to wet, Schillings Dwarf Holly withstands drought when established and is highly salt-tolerant, making it ideally suited to seaside plantings. It is a selection of the native Yaupon Holly which grows naturally without irrigation on the dunes along the Atlantic Ocean. Growth rate is slow to moderate. Plant 4 to 8 feet apart for mass planting, closer for a hedge. Be sure to set plants several feet back from a walk, driveway or lawn area, because plants grow wider than tall and often require pruning to control their lateral growth. If you need to prune in this manner, be sure to leave the bottom of the plant much wider than the top so lower foliage is left on the plant. If you attempt to shear vertically, the lower branches are shaded and often lose foliage. This will give the shrub an unsightly, dark, leafless bottom. It is difficult to maintain this, and other tight canopied shrubs, in anything but a meatball or other formal shape.

Height 4-6 Feet

Spread 6-10 Feet

USDA Hardiness Zone 7A to 10A

Characteristics & Attributes