American holly (Illex opaca)

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The holly family, Aquifoliaceae, is widely used for landscaping all over the world and in holiday decorations. Holly is chosen for its decorative value because of the thick, dark green, year-round foliage and its red berries. The persistent leaves of American holly have several thorny spines around the margin. These spines are really sharp and dinstinctive. The bright, red berries also help distinguish American holly from other trees.

Acknowledgements: The development of this site was funded by the Florida 4-H Foundation and the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida. The following individuals worked hard to write and edit descriptions, collect plants, take photographs, and design this website: Nancy Birmingham-Hague, Alison Bowers, Jennifer Engle, Tracy Fluchel, Holly Johnson, Larry Korhnak, Alan Long, Martha Monroe, Jenny Seitz, Joel Smith, Willie Wood