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Oscar's Dwarf Yaupon Holly
Ilex vomitoria 'Oscar's Dwarf'
Height: 24 inches
Spread: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 7b
Description:
Makes a great groundcover, rock garden shrub or for use as edging; foliage is larger than the species and habit is rounded; very slow growing and should not need pruning; drought tolerant; shows salt spray tolerance
Ornamental Features
Oscar's Dwarf Yaupon Holly is primarily valued in the garden for its interestingly mounded form. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage which emerges lime green in spring. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.
Landscape Attributes
Oscar's Dwarf Yaupon Holly is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Oscar's Dwarf Yaupon Holly is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Planting & Growing
Oscar's Dwarf Yaupon Holly will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.
Oscar's Dwarf Yaupon Holly makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.
This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.