NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Ilex cassine [=Ilex cassine var. cassine]

Scientific Name:	Ilex cassine [=Ilex cassine var. cassine]
Genus:	Ilex
Species Epithet:	cassine
Common Name:	Dahoon, Dahoon Holly, Cassena
Plant Type	Tree
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Aquifoliaceae (Holly Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Size:	6-12 ft., 12-36 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	White
Light:	Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Soil Moisture:	Moist, Wet
Bloom Time:	May, June
Growing Area:	Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Blackwater stream swamps, pocosins, nearly always in very acid peaty or sandy sites (Weakley 2015). Uncommon in NC Coastal Plain.
Leaf Arrangement:	Alternate
Leaf Retention:	Evergreen
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Simple
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Important for Wildlife
Landscape Value:	Suitable for home landscapes
State Rank:	S2: Imperiled ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G5 - Secure ^(*Key)
State Status:	W1: Watch List: Rare but Relatively Secure ^(*Key)
Dahoon habitat Dahoon grows around cypress ponds, as here in Carolina Beach State Park, in pocosins, and in swamps, nearly always in very acid soil. Paynter, February 2011
Berries
Leaves
Bark
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record