'Will Fleming' is a fastigiate male cultivar of I. vomitoria , a species of evergreen shrubs or small trees native to the eastern United States and often found native in North Carolina. It is a member of the holly family (Aquifoliaceae). 'Will Fleming' holly is drought and salt-spray tolerant, tolerates wet soil, is easily transplanted, and has no serious pest problems. Plant in average well-drained soils in sun to partial shade. It is tolerant of a wide range of soil types and can take heavy pruning. 'Will Fleming' holly is a narrow, upright form of the species that grows up to 15 feet tall and can act as an exclamation point in the landscape. 'Will Fleming' has a tight, close-knit appearance initially, but over time as the plant matures, it opens out providing excellent vertical interest as a loose screen, accent, or border plant. 'Will Fleming' is a male cultivar and will not bear fruit but can be planted as a pollinizer for female varieties. Use in small or vertical spaces in a native or pollinator garden. Mass plant as a low hedge or prune it into a small tree. It can be used as a container plant on a patio where the fragrant flowers can be enjoyed. Fire Risk: This plant has a high flammability rating and should not be planted within the defensible space of your home. Select plants with a low flammability rating for the sites nearest your home. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No insect or disease problems when planted in their native habitat. Holly leafminer, spider mites, whitefly, and scale are occasional problems. Leaf spot, leaf rot, tar spot, and powdery mildew are potential disease problems. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common diseases and insect pests. VIDEO: Part of a series of Native Plant Picks from the North Carolina Sea Grant Coastal Landscapes Initiative. More information on Ilex vomitoria .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheCamellia Winter GroupIlex vomitoriaIlex vomitoria 'Dwarf'
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Columnar; Dense; Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery; Smooth; Waxy
Leaf value
Long-lasting
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Small, finely serrated, lustrous dark green foliage is alternate, simple, glossy and 1/2 to 3/4 inches long. New growth has a yellow-green tinge. Leaves are oval to ovate and are shallowly toothed around the margin to the base.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Cyme; Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Produces small, inconspicuous greenish-white fragrant flowers in spring that are solitary or in pairs and are clustered on peduncles in leaf axils.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit detail
Male plant that does not produce fruit.
Bark color
Light Gray
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Edibility
Use caution. The young leaves may be picked, browned and dried in an oven, steeped in hot water and used to make Yaupon tea. It contains caffeine. In quantities, can be mildly toxic.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The wood from this plant was used by Native Americans to make arrows. Also contains caffeine.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Patio; Small Space; Vertical Spaces; Walkways
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Foundation Planting; Hedge; Mass Planting; Small groups; Specimen
Holly Pest Management Calendar; Pests of Holly; Leafminers of Hollies; Armored Scale Identification and Management on Ornamental Plants; Soft Scale Identification and Management on Ornamental Plants
Resistant to
Deer; Diseases; Poor Soil; Wet Soil
Particularly resistant to
Resistant to Phytophthora root rot, deer.
Fire risk
high flammability
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves
Poison symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea when consumed in quantity.