During the winter months, there are a few plants that really get a chance to shine when our deciduous trees and shrubs shed their leaves.  I enjoy seeing the bright green leaves or pops of red from various hollies.

One of my very favorite small trees in the winter is the Possumhaw holly.  I love a plant with a good name, and this certainly has one.  The “haw” part of the name comes from the reddish fruit that looks similar to hawthorn fruits.  The “possum” part of the name comes from a certain furry critter that likes to snack on the fruit.

Possumhaw is native to a large area of Texas and can adapt to a wide range of soil conditions.  It can grow in shade to full sun, so it is a versatile plant for the landscape.  Possumhaw is really a large shrub or small, multi-trunked tree.  The height is typically eight to 12 feet, but it can reach up to 20 feet tall.  It grows six to 10 feet wide.

One of the things I love most about Possumhaw holly are the bright red or orange fruit that is a blaze of color in the fall and winter.  The small tree is deciduous, which means that the leaves fall off in the fall, but that only allows the fruit to show up even brighter!

Possumhaw is also dioecious, meaning that the male and female flowers are on separate trees.  To get good fruit set, a female plant needs a male plant nearby for good pollination.  The fruit sets on a female tree, and they are really beautiful when they are covered with bright berries.

Keep an eye out for the bright spot of color from a Possumhaw holly this winter.  For more information about lawn and garden topics, contact Kate Whitney, Williamson County AgriLife Extension Agent for Horticulture, at 512-943-3300.