Holly, ‘Savannah’

The Savannah Holly typically reaches heights between 30 and 45 feet with spreads between 6 and 10 feet, making the crown a slender pyramidal to columnar shape. Savannah Holly is a cross between Ilex cassine x Ilex opacaxi (Dahoon Holly and American Holly). The canopy gets very dense if grown in full sun and tends to open up more when in partial shade. The tree prefers moist, well-drained soil but will tolerate wetter situations as well as drought once established.

The alternate, simple, pinnate LEAVES are 2-3 1/2” in length and olive green in color. The spines on this particular type of holly are very small and each leaf typically has 2-4 on each side. If the leaves turn yellow then the tree is lacking nitrogen so fertilizer will be needed.

In the spring, inconspicuous, white FLOWERS appear. While the flowers are dioecious, male and female trees must be located close together in order for berry production. The FRUIT is produced on the female trees as small, red berries. Birds are attracted to these berries throughout the wintertime.

The light gray/whitish BARK is very thin.

The wood from this tree has been used in the making of different objects including canes and scrolls. Many animals find the Savannah Holly as a source for food.