Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Dwarf Yaupon Holly
Dwarf yaupon holly is a dense, rounded evergreen shrub with small dark green leaves that stays about 2 to 4 feet tall and wide. It makes one of the best low formal hedges for Phoenix's alkaline soils, holding a tidy shape with only occasional light shearing. It grows in sun or part shade and is cold hardy to about 0°F.
Best for: low formal hedges and edging, foundation beds, and a boxwood look in alkaline soil.
Its dense, naturally rounded form and small leaves make a crisp low hedge along walks, beds and entries. It stays about 2 to 4 feet tall, so plant it about 3 feet apart for a continuous line that needs very little shearing.
It gives the clipped, formal look of boxwood and does surprisingly well in the alkaline soils of Phoenix. It is often rated even better than Japanese boxwood for low hedges there.
It grows in full, filtered or partial sun, which makes it useful on east and north sides where many desert shrubs thin out. More sun gives a thicker, denser plant.
It is not a xeric desert plant and needs regular extra water through summer. Growth is slow, so it takes time to fill a hedge line. The stems are stiff and brittle, and frequent heavy shearing works against its natural rounded shape.
- Low hedge row3-4 ft apart
- Edging along a walk or bed3 ft apart
Give it regular water in summer. It handles drought and heat once rooted, but a steady summer soak keeps it full.
It makes a good low formal hedge. Shear it lightly and not too often, since it holds a rounded shape on its own.
It grows in full sun to part sun.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does dwarf yaupon holly get?
About 2 to 4 feet tall and wide. It grows slowly into a dense, rounded mound.
Does dwarf yaupon holly have spines?
It does not have spines like a Christmas holly. The leaves are small with only shallow teeth along the edges, so it is easy to plant along walks and to shear.
Does it make berries?
No. Stokes Dwarf is a male selection, so it flowers but does not set berries, which means no fruit to clean up.
Does it grow well in Phoenix?
Yes. It does surprisingly well in Phoenix's alkaline soils. The dwarf forms are rated the best choice for low formal hedges there, even ahead of Japanese boxwood.
How often should I water it?
It tolerates some drought, but in Phoenix it needs regular extra water through the summer months. Water less often in winter, and keep the soil well drained.
Sun or shade?
It grows in full, filtered, or partial sun. More sun gives a thicker, denser plant, while partial sun works well on east and north sides of the house.
Can I use it as a hedge?
Yes, that is its main use. Plant about 3 feet apart for a continuous low hedge or border.
How often should I shear it?
It rarely needs shearing, because it naturally holds a rounded, formal shape. Give it an occasional light trim, since heavy, frequent shearing works against its form.
Is dwarf yaupon holly cold hardy?
Yes, it is very cold hardy, to about 0°F. In the coldest winters the small leaves can take on a slight purple tint before greening back up.
Is it evergreen?
Yes. It keeps its small dark green leaves year round.
Why is it called Ilex vomitoria?
Native Americans brewed yaupon leaves into a bitter tea that was once used to induce vomiting, which gave the plant its species name.
Dwarf Yaupon Holly for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Dwarf yaupon holly is a compact evergreen that is rated the best plant for low formal hedges in alkaline desert soil. It stays small, needs little shearing, and grows in sun or part shade. Below are the questions Arizona gardeners ask most.
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How big dwarf yaupon holly gets
About 2 to 4 feet tall and wide, growing slowly into a dense, rounded mound.
Dwarf yaupon for low hedges in Phoenix
It does surprisingly well in alkaline Phoenix soils and is rated one of the best plants for low formal hedges, even ahead of Japanese boxwood.
Watering dwarf yaupon holly
Give regular extra water through summer and less in winter, in well-drained soil.
Hedge spacing
Plant about 3 feet apart for a continuous low hedge or border.
Sun and shade
It grows in full, filtered, or partial sun, which suits east and north sides of the house.
Cold hardiness
Hardy to about 0°F and evergreen year round, with a slight purple tint possible in the coldest winters.
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