Ilex vomitoria 'Yawkey'

by Mark Weathington, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections

Ilex vomitoria has long been one of the most versatile of evergreen shrubs for the garden. It ranges across much of the United States from Maryland to Oklahoma and south to Texas and the Chiapas region of Mexico. The red fall fruits provide food for a range of animals. 'Yawkey' is an outstanding selection from the T. A. Yawkey Plantation in Georgetown County, South Carolina. This form bears heavy masses of bright yellow fruits in late summer.

Yaupon holly was traditionally used by some Native Americans in a ceremony where the leaves and stems were brewed to make a tea much like the South American yerba mate made from Ilex paraguayensis. Because the ceremony included vomiting which was self-induced or caused by drinking great quantities of the tea while fasting, it was and still is widely believed that the holly is an emetic and gave rise to the Latin name. In reality, tea from this plant contains caffeine but does not cause any discomfort although those who claim that it is very tasty must have a more refined palate than myself.

Ilex vomitoria 'Yawkey' grows as a multi-stemmed shrub with twiggy branches and an upright, arching habit. It bears a heavy load of yellow fruits in late summer which often last until spring. Since it is a female, it needs a male pollinator nearby such as 'Stoke's Dwarf' or 'Will Fleming'. The fruits are eaten by a wide variety of birds including Florida ducks, mourning doves, ruffed grouse, cedar waxwings, and bluebirds. Armadillos, black bears, and foxes have also been known to eat the fruit.

Ilex vomitoria is most often found in coastal areas growing on sandy, well-drained soils. It also grows near brackish swamps, in pine barrens, forested wetlands, and woodlands. This wide range of habitats makes 'Yawkey' suitable for growing in sun or shade and in most locations from rain gardens to sand dunes. Fruiting will be heaviest in full sun. In natural gardens, plants can be allowed to grow without pruning. For more formal settings, it can be pruned into almost any shape or grown as a small tree by limbing it up. It can be sheared into hedges, pyramids, or other shapes. Pruning will impact fruiting.

Propagation of 'Yawkey' is relatively simple with semi-hardwood or hardwood cuttings taken from late June through March. Semi-hardwood cuttings can be rooted under mist while dormant material is best with bottom heat. Seedlings from 'Yawkey' will generally come true to type although the offspring’s fruit may not be as brightly colored. It makes a spectacular show in the fall and winter garden is one of the very best yellow fruiting hollies of any type available.

Coming Attractions

by Nancy Doubrava, Interpretive Specialist

Ilex cornuta 'Sunrise' golden Chinese holly	Mahonia ×media 'Hope' grapeholly
Camellia 'Snow Flurry' Akerman hybrid camellia	Camellia 'Carolina Moonmist' Cochran hybrid camellia
Pyracantha 'Cadaune' Saphyr Jaune™ firethorn	Chimonanthus praecox fragrant wintersweet
Sarcococca saligna willow-leaf sweet box	Prunus mume 'Trumpet' Japanese flowering apricot

Visit Showtimes for a much more detailed listing of what's in flower in December at the Arboretum.

Recent Members Only Additions

Three new videos were recorded for the Members Only section on the Arboretum's Web site in November.

• Friends of the Arboretum Lectures
  • "Perennial Vegetables: Asparagus, Artichokes, Fiddlehead Ferns and More" presented by Frank Hyman, Cottage Garden Landscaping, on November 4, 2010
  • "The Macaronesian Flora and a (Slight) Charles Darwin Connection" presented by Janice Swab, Professor, Department of Biology and Health Sciences, Meredith College, on November 18, 2010
• Plantsmen's Tour
  • "Textural Treats" led by Mark Weathington, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections, on November 9, 2010

Content in the Members Only section is password protected and is only available to Arboretum members. In order to access these special features, members need to know the password that was printed on the label (use all lower case letters) of the latest Friends of the Arboretum Newsletter or included in the e-mail with the latest monthly JCRA e-Update attached to it.