The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Cardinal American holly

Family: Aquifoliaceae (holly family)

Distribution: Species native to e. United States

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Life form: Evergreen tree

Comments: A slow-growing, broadly conical, female broadleaf evergreen tree to 20' tall by 10' wide. An old time cultivar (1941) with lustrous dark green spiny leaves. Orange-red berries ripen earlier than most other types (late August) and remain colorful into winter. Requires a male pollinator for fruit production.