Virginia Tech Dendrology

sarvis holly Aquifoliaceae Ilex amelanchier M.A. Curtis ex Chapm. symbol: ILAM2
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, finely serrate (especially on the upper third of the leaf), lance to egg-shaped (variable) or obovate, rounded at the leaf base, glabrous and green above (may be pubescent), paler and slightly pubescent below, to 3 inches long.
Flower: Species is dioecious; both male and females are stalked and greenish-white, usually in clusters, appear in spring.
Fruit: Round drupes, 1/3 inch in diameter, dull red, ripening in fall but persisting through the winter, borne on short stalks, seeds grooved.
Twig: Slender, gray-green, with scattered light lenticels, buds dome-shaped,leaf scars small with one vascular bundle scar, slightly pubescent.
Bark: Thin, smooth and grayish brown, somewhat warty.
Form: Upright shrub or small tree, reaches heights of 10 to 15 feet.
Looks like: deciduous holly - mountain holly - winterberry holly - sweet cherry

Additional Range Information: Ilex amelanchier is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information