Virginia Tech Dendrology

Oriental holly Aquifoliaceae Ilex purpurea Hassk. symbol: --
Leaf: Opposite, subopposite, or alternate, simple, evergreen, thickened and somewhat leathery, glabrous, elliptical to lanceolate; 2 to 4 inches long; margins with small teeth at the end of each vein; shiny dark green above, paler below.
Flower: Species is dioecious; purple-red; appear in late spring to early summer.
Fruit: Red berry-like round drupe, 1/4 to 1/3 inch across; ripen in fall; persistent.
Twig: Slender, grayish brown, mostly glabrous; very small pointed buds.
Bark: Thin, dark gray, smooth.
Form: Shrub or small tree with dense branches; reaches heights of 50 feet.

Additional Range Information: Ilex purpurea is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.

All material © 2021 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