Ilex vomitoria 'Nana' (Dwarf Yaupon Holly)

Ilex vomitoria 'Nana,' commonly known as dwarf yaupon holly, is a cultivar of yaupon holly, a woody, broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree that is native to the southeastern US and Mexico. Although its species name, vomitoria, may raise some eyebrows, this name is drawn from the plant's traditional use in pre-Colonial ritual teas, which were drank by some Native American populations for ritual use; occasionally, ingestion of large quantities of this tea would induce vomiting due to the naturally occuring caffeine and theobromine, which are both found in chocolate and yerba mate as well. Flowering in mid to late spring, yaupon holly produces inconspicuous white flowers, which are attractive to a number of pollinators; due to mix-ups between different dwarf cultivars, it is possible to find Ilex vomitoria 'Nana' as both male and female individuals, so it is important to keep this in mind as you look for accent plants.

Beyond its slightly off-putting name, Ilex vomitoria is an excellent addition to the landscape with a lot of ecological appeal, and its dwarf cultivar, 'Nana' makes it accessible to smaller garden spaces as well. The 'Nana' dwarf cultivar grows with a mounding behavior to only about 3-5' tall and about 3-6' wide, making it an excellent choice for low hedges, where it is easy to maintain, or coastal areas, where it shows of its high salt tolerance. 'Nana' performs best in full to part sun and medium-wet soils, but tolerates deer, drought, over-watering, and harsh winters.