Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
46CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY
Genus host records with ranges including KY · 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 46
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Dolba hyloeusPawpaw Sphinx
- Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
- Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
- 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
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Manduca rusticaRustic Sphinx
- Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
- Metaxaglaea violaceaHolly Sallow
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia alurinaGray Quaker
- Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
- Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
- Rhopobota dietzianaWinterberry Moth
- Rhopobota naevanaBlackheaded Fireworm, Holly Bud Moth, Holly Tortrix
- 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
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
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
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Aquifoliaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 5–9
- Flower color
- Yellow
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Growth habit
- Several stems
- Foliage color
- Dark green
- Fruit begins
- Summer
- Fruit ends
- Fall
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Flower color · “Yellow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 5–9” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Height · “About 33 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Light · “Shade (minimum requirement); Partial sun (minimum requirement)” · Virginia DCR Piedmont · Virginia regional planting chart; sunlight is a minimum requirement, moisture is low/moderate/high
- Soil · “wet to medium” · Tennessee Smart Yards · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
- Spread · “5–12 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Also known as
Possum Haw
Conservation status
| Kentucky rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| KY status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
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Sources
- tnky_atlas
- usda
- nc_flora
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- 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
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications