Ilex – holly genus

crenata – rounded scallops on leaf margin

Native range: Russia, Japan, Korea

Leaves:

• alternate
• simple
• upper blade margin is serrulate (crenate)
• elliptic or obovate to oblong-lanceolate
• small (1/2” - 1” long)
• mostly flat
• upper surface – dark green
• lower surface – dotted with translucent or blackish glands; glabrous
• short petiole

Flowers:

• 4 parted
• solitary female flowers
• male flowers in 3-7 flowered cyme

Fruit:

• globose (round) drupe
• red to dark colored

Other characteristics:

• shrub
• evergreen
• many branches, making it a good hedge species

Relevant info:

• ~60 cultivars available in nurseries
• has become naturalized (i.e., escaped cultivation) in some areas such as Arkansas

Ecology & Adaptations:

• native to forests, thickets, and mountain slopes in Japan, Korea, China, and eastern Russia (Sakhalin)
• shade tolerant understory species
• drought tolerance due to waxy leaf coating (produced by glands) that helps prevent water loss
• mycorrhiza associated with roots that aid nutrient uptake and enable nutrient deficiency tolerance
• seed dispersal – animals by eating fruit & excreting seeds