11 December 2023.
Washington County, Florida, United States
Locality: Holmes Creek, Live Oak Landing.
Coordinates: 30.6045, -85.7667
(Map it)
Elevation: 6m.
Georeference protocol: Lat/lon determined by GPS
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Bottomland floodpain of Holmes Creek. Slope: flat. Aspect: Southwest. Elevation: 20 feet.
Associated species: Quercus lyrata; Quercus laurifolia; Carya aquatica; Nyssa ogeche; Viburnum dentatum; Sabal minor; Ilex decidua; Ilex verticillata.
Comment: American holly is an upright-pyramidal to open-conical, broadleaf evergreen, growing 15’ to 30’ tall in cultivation and up to 50’ in the wild. Grows across a wide variety of native habitats: moist woods, forest bottomlands, swamp/river edges to more xeric upland sands and coastal dunes. Leaves alternate, simple, oblong to elliptic, 2” to 4” long, coriaceous (leathery), deep green to dusty green, with spiny marginal teeth. Bark light gray-white to tan, smooth, commonly splotched with red or tan lichens. Flowers greenish-white, non-showy, late spring-early summer, dioecious. Fruit red or orange, 1/4” to 1/2”, in fall but often persisting through winter into early spring.
Collector(s):