# possumhaw

*Ilex decidua*

Only female Possumhaw plants produce berries; they are deciduous hollies that drop their leaves to better display their fruit to foraging birds.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Aquifoliales › Aquifoliaceae › Ilex
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Bottomland forests, floodplains, stream banks, and moist upland woods.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- **Range:** Central United States, Eastern United States, Northern Mexico
- **Size:** 15-30 feet tall shrub or small tree
- **Lifespan:** 30-50 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation and competition from invasive species like Chinese Privet.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to touch and observe. The berries are mildly toxic to humans and pets; do not ingest as they cause vomiting and digestive upset. If consumed, seek advice from a medical professional or poison control.

## About

Ilex decidua ( meadow holly , also called "possumhaw" , "deciduous holly" or "swamp holly" ) is a species of holly native to the United States.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/1e369104-3d6e-487f-8ea3-a0be77bdb659
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/120006
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilex decidua
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/255518521/medium.jpg (Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.