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Large Gallberry

Ilex coriacea

Found in pocosins, more restricted to wet, peaty sites than I. glabra , though very often intermixed in their regions of co-occurrence. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

97
Keystone

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 12 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Evergreen
Bloom
April to May
Fruiting season
Late July to October

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 17 Alabama counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 138 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

50CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Ilex

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Callophrys henriciHenry's Elfin
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Cepphis armatariaScallop Moth
Show all 50
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Dolba hyloeusPawpaw Sphinx
  • Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
  • Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
  • Episemasia solitariaSolitary Ruddy
  • Episimus tyriusMaple Tip Borer
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Haematopis gratariaChickweed Geometer
  • Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
  • Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Ilexia intractataBlack-Dotted Ruddy, Holly Looper
  • Larisa subsolanaDark-Based Larisa
  • Lascoria ambigualisAmbiguous Moth, Ambiguous Litter Moth
  • Lithophane viridipallensPale Green Pinion
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Manduca rusticaRustic Sphinx
  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Metaxaglaea violaceaHolly Sallow
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia alurinaGray Quaker
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Papilio palamedesPalamedes Swallowtail
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
  • Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
  • Rhopobota dietzianaWinterberry Moth
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Synanthedon kathyaeHolly Clearwing Borer
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Rhopobota finitimana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
35BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Ilex

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
3Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Ilex

  • Colletes banksi
  • Colletes brimleyi
  • Perdita floridensis
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
11BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Ilex

  • Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Catharus fuscescensVeery
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
  • Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Show all 11
  • Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Aquifoliaceae
Hardiness
Zones 6a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Green or white
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Forms thickets
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
Late July
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Suckers and forms colonies. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as thicket forming. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources