Flowering tree

American holly

Ilex opaca

🌷 Flowering treeNative in the lower 48

American holly is a popular flowering tree. It's on our flower lists for 35 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

26states

35of our state lists

57,174U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 23, 2026. Planted garden trees are mostly excluded from research grade.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Quick look

Ilex opaca, the American holly, is a species of holly, native to the eastern and south-central United States, from coastal Massachusetts south to central Florida, and west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas.
From Wikipedia's article Ilex opaca, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Aquifoliaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 26 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 40 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 7,570 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #5 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 6,913 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #9 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 6,583 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #8 among the 189 flowers on our Maryland list. ^iNaturalist

American holly gift ideas

Handmade american holly gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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American holly art print
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (457 records)

Bloom time in each of our 35 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
North Carolina	🌷 Garden	April–June	7,570
Virginia	🌷 Garden	April–May	6,913
Maryland	🌷 Garden	April–May	6,583
New Jersey	🌷 Garden	May–June	5,152
Pennsylvania	🌷 Garden	April–June	3,226
Georgia	🌷 Garden	few records	2,994
New York	🌷 Garden	May–August	2,939
South Carolina	🌷 Garden	few records	2,675
Massachusetts	🌷 Garden	June	2,551
Texas	🌷 Garden	April–May	2,055
Tennessee	🌷 Garden	few records	2,038
Florida	🌷 Garden	March–May	1,811
Ohio	🌷 Garden	few records	1,729
Alabama	🌷 Garden	few records	1,477
Kentucky	🌷 Garden	few records	1,212
Delaware	🌷 Garden	few records	1,159
West Virginia	🌷 Garden	few records	756
Arkansas	🌷 Garden	few records	673
Mississippi	🌷 Garden	few records	587
Connecticut	🌷 Garden	few records	522
Louisiana	🌷 Garden	few records	485
Rhode Island	🌷 Garden	few records	476
Indiana	🌷 Garden	few records	315
Missouri	🌷 Garden	few records	207
Illinois	🌷 Garden	few records	151
Oklahoma	🌷 Garden	few records	98
Michigan	🌷 Garden	few records	91
Kansas	🌷 Garden	few records	2
Maine	🌷 Garden	few records	1
Wisconsin	🌷 Garden	few records	1
New Hampshire	🌷 Garden	few records	0
California	🌷 Garden	few records	0
Colorado	🌷 Garden	few records	0
Oregon	🌷 Garden	few records	0
Washington	🌷 Garden	few records	0

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Pennsylvania: State threatened On Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023): state threatened. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
New York: Variety listed Only Ilex opaca var. opaca is on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3) (exploitably vulnerable (protected from picking without the landowner's permission)). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Texas: Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. ^{31 TAC 69.8}
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
Ohio: Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. ^{OAC 1501:18-1-03}
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Kentucky: Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. ^{400 KAR 3:040}
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Indiana: No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Illinois: Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe has no Michigan rank for it. ^{R 299.1028}
Kansas: No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe has no Kansas rank for it.
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe has no Maine rank for it. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe has no Wisconsin rank for it. ^{NR 27.03}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe has no New Hampshire rank for it. ^{NH Ncr 312}
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe has no California rank for it. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe has no Colorado rank for it.
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe has no Oregon rank for it. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe has no Washington rank for it.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 23, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: it's on Pennsylvania's rare plant list (state threatened); Ilex opaca var. opaca is on New York's rare plant list (exploitably vulnerable). ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45 6 NYCRR § 193.3}

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: fruits. Symptoms they list: “Nausea, vomiting (not in horses), diarrhea, depression.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “American Holly” (Ilex opaca) lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Vomiting (not in horses), diarrhea and depression. Please note that individual plants may differ in appearance. Please be sure to check the name of the plant to determine its… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records American holly in 26 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Anson, Ashe, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Carteret, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Chowan, Clay, Cleveland, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Graham, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Montgomery, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Union, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, Yadkin.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Bland, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Richmond, Rockingham, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, York.

More North Carolina flowers

Yaupon holly

Ilex vomitoria

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌼 Blooms in NC: April–May

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in North Carolina gardens

Inkberry

Ilex glabra

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in North Carolina gardens

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ILOP.
iNaturalist, Ilex opaca: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 23, 2026.
Wikipedia, Ilex opaca (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
Ohio: Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024).
Ohio: Ohio invasive plant species (Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
Illinois: Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist.
Illinois: Illinois Official List of Exotic Weeds (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30, Illinois Exotic Weed Act).
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 23, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Ilex opaca (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Anne Parker via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.