Ilex amelanchier: Country Or Region Of Origin
Southeastern, U.S.A.
Plant Profile: Ilex amelanchier
Taxonomy: Ilex amelanchierNames
Sarvis Holly, Service berry Holly, Swamp Holly
Phonetic Spelling:EYE-leks am-uh-LAN-kee-er
Genus:Ilex
Species:amelanchier
Family:Aquifoliaceae
Swamp holly is a sizable deciduous shrub or small tree that typically reaches heights of 10 to 15 feet. This plant is often located in proximity to water sources, such as streambanks, and can be found across seven counties in the coastal plain of North Carolina.
Ilex amelanchier Feature Summary
Ilex amelanchier Image Gallery
Tags
#small tree
#stream banks
#NC native
#large shrub
#coastal plants
#Braham Arboretum
Similar Plants
Ilex amelanchier is often confused with:
Ilex amelanchier Feature Summary
Attributes
Southeastern, U.S.A.
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi
Fruit
Dull pink-red drupes, slightly glaucous. You need both male and female plants to produce berries.
Drupe
Red/Burgundy
Pink
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
Tiny flowers with 4 or 5 greenish-white petals are borne in small clusters in the leaf axils.
White
Green
< 1 inch
Leaves
Ovate up to 4 inches long leaves are very finely toothed almost entire. The undersides of leaves are very densely hairy and lighter in color.
Deciduous
Green
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Ovate
Entire
Serrate
1-3 inches
Bark
The bark is smooth, grayish-brown and often marked with lenticels. Often colonized by lichens.
Light Gray
Light Brown
Smooth
Stem
Young stems and twigs are hairy and appear almost white but become glabrous and red-brown with age.
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
White
Smooth (glabrous)
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Tree
Native Plant
Deciduous
Cultural Conditions
Acid (<6.0)
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Coastal
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Native Garden
Water Garden
Coastal
Riparian
Pond
Ilex amelanchier Image Gallery
Ilex amelanchier Attributes
Ilex amelanchier: Distribution
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi
Ilex amelanchier Fruit
Ilex amelanchier: Fruit Description
Dull pink-red drupes, slightly glaucous. You need both male and female plants to produce berries.
Ilex amelanchier: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Ilex amelanchier: Fruit Color
Pink
Red/Burgundy
Ilex amelanchier: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Ilex amelanchier: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Ilex amelanchier Flowers
Ilex amelanchier: Flower Description
Tiny flowers with 4 or 5 greenish-white petals are borne in small clusters in the leaf axils.
Ilex amelanchier: Flower Color
Green
White
Ilex amelanchier: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Ilex amelanchier Leaves
Ilex amelanchier: Leaf Description
Ovate up to 4 inches long leaves are very finely toothed almost entire. The undersides of leaves are very densely hairy and lighter in color.
Ilex amelanchier: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Ilex amelanchier: Leaf Color
Green
Ilex amelanchier: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Ilex amelanchier: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Ilex amelanchier: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Ilex amelanchier: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Ilex amelanchier: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Ilex amelanchier: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Ilex amelanchier Bark
Ilex amelanchier: Bark Description
The bark is smooth, grayish-brown and often marked with lenticels. Often colonized by lichens.
Ilex amelanchier: Bark Color
Light Brown
Light Gray
Ilex amelanchier: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Ilex amelanchier Stem
Ilex amelanchier: Stem Description
Young stems and twigs are hairy and appear almost white but become glabrous and red-brown with age.
Ilex amelanchier: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
White
Ilex amelanchier: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Ilex amelanchier: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Ilex amelanchier Whole Plant Traits
Ilex amelanchier: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Ilex amelanchier: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Ilex amelanchier Cultural Conditions
Ilex amelanchier: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Ilex amelanchier: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Ilex amelanchier: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Ilex amelanchier: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
10a
10b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Ilex amelanchier: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Ilex amelanchier Landscape
Ilex amelanchier: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Ilex amelanchier: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
