Nick Usner
Possumhaw Holly
Native hollies, as a whole, are excellent plants to collaborate with, as they offer crucial food sources to our wildlife deep into winter, when resources grow more scarce. The deciduous Possumhaw, or Swamp Holly, is my current sweetheart. This holly could be used as a small tree or large shrub. I find the form to be a lovely understory addition to any naturalistic garden, though it could also be kept tighter and used as a hedge or single specimen. The dainty cream flowers of female shrubs, when pollinated, give way to deep red berries that persist through winter, seemingly until new spring green growth has arrived. The berries, en masse throughout the winter swamp once all leaves have fallen, are utterly breathtaking, and something I look forward to each winter as the holiday season fades.
