American Holly is a fairly common understory tree, American Holly is easy to identify, with prickly evergreen leaves, smooth bark, and red fruits (on female trees) that last through the winter. Our only similar species is Chinese Holly (Ilex cornuta), which has distinctively shaped leaves and is smaller in stature.

Person Co., NC 4/1/06.

Rarely the leaves may lack spiny teeth.

Jones Co., NC 7/18/2008.

Jones Co., NC 7/18/2008.

Flowers appear in early May. The ones at left are staminate (male) flowers.

Wake Co., NC 5/3/2009.

Detail of staminate flowers.

Wake Co., NC 5/3/2009.

Chapel Hill, NC 5/4/03.

Male flowers. American Holly is dioecious - trees have either male or female flowers. Chapel Hill, NC 5/3/03.

Female flowers. Chatham Co., NC 5/2/04.

Very rarely, American Holly flowers are 5-parted instead of 4-parted. Vance Co., NC 4/26/04.

The gray bark is very smooth and usually covered with many species of lichens.