Possumhaw: A Little Color In Winter’s Drabness
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As winter reaches its climax, just before it begins giving way to hints of spring on the landscape, colors in the forest become muted. Even as the bluebird sky sits overhead and the sun sends crystal clear beams of light to warm our faces, it seems the lack of bright colors often magnifies the dominance of browns and greys in the woods of Harmony Hill. After just a short walk along the creek and bottomland portions of this gorgeous place, it doesn’t take much effort to begin to see tiny glimmers of bright red against the palettes of desaturated colors.
We are always encouraging our readers to look beyond what many see as ordinary or drab to see the beauty right at our fingertips. Part of that is in seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary and the brilliant hidden in drabness. Join us as we spotlight a common species that has eye catching berries that lift our spirits on even the most overcast days of winter.
There are some pretty unforgettable common names for plants and animals out there, names that sound so odd you won’t forget them and may just make you laugh when you say them. One such name is Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) and is the most commonly used common name for our species during this visit.
The scientific name Ilex decidua also alludes to one of the more fitting common names, Deciduous Holly, as it simply translates to a holly that is deciduous! Ever wonder where the term “deciduous” comes from? Well, the etymology for the word comes from “de”, Latin for “down”, and “cadere”, Latin for “to fall”. So, deciduous in plants refers to having leaves that fall down!
Whatever you call it, it is easy to identify this time of year and, though it is a common species, is worthy of stopping along the way to admire.
The defining characteristic of this plant in late winter are the red berries that still cling to its branches. Even for someone with only a limited exposure to plants or the outdoors, the red berries that are common amongst members of the Holly family (Aquifoliaceae) are obvious. And it is those very berries we look to when identifying Possumhaw today. Sure, we can talk about its shrubby size, usually growing to about 20’-25’ in height. Or we could point out its incredibly thin grey bark, often with lighter splotches highlighting portions of the trunk and branches. Or we could mention the warty stems holding the berries. But we know the thing that will catch your attention will be the red berries, growing in bunches or singly.
Beginning as small, nondescript white flowers in mid-spring, the berries begin to develop around September and October. Though they may turn orange or yellow, they usually become that signature holly red and are noticeable by November. Certainly, by December, when most of the leaves of the forest trees have fallen, they are conspicuous.
As much as we’d like to think that maybe Possumhaw put those berries there just to brighten our day, we know that isn’t the case. Those berries are fruit that hold the seeds for the next generation and are not there for us. In fact, like the berries of other Aquifoliaceae, they are not good for human consumption. The berries are toxic and can cause vomiting and sickness in small doses and much worse in larger doses.
Humans do use the berries for something else, however. In a continuation of its holly lineage, Possumhaw has been used in winter and holiday decorations. Taking advantage of the red berries, people have used twigs and branches loaded with Possumhaw berries to add to wreaths, arrangements, and ornaments for many generations.
Even animals who eat the berries only eat them in small amounts and usually wait until later in the season to begin consuming them. It appears Possumhaw berries are not a preferred food of the mammals and birds that eat them. White-tailed Deer, Raccoons, Northern Mockingbirds, American Robins, Cedar Waxwings and even Northern Bobwhite Quail take advantage of them as a food source.
And that name, Possumhaw? Well, it comes from the fact that Opossums do, in fact, eat the berries that look a little like hawthorn berries. That gives us the etymology, by joining Possum from Opossum and haw from hawthorn, we get the slightly hilarious name of Possumhaw!
Some older southerners have been known to call this plant Winterberry. And where its range gets into mountainous regions of the Appalachian and Ozark ranges, locals often call it Bearberry, in reference to Black Bears consuming the berries.
Next time you’re walking in the winter woods where there is at least partial shade and the soil moisture is mostly constant, keep your eye out for these berries and smile as you say, “Possumhaw!” It can tolerate a range of soil types, from sandy to clay. But it needs pretty consistent soil moisture and some shade. Where there is partial shade from a hardwood and pine overstory, there appears to be more prolific berry production.
Finally, while it is possible to get perfect flowers on some plants in which both male and female reproductive parts are present, it is far more common that there are male plants and female plants. Where you see berries, that is a female plant that has a nearby male plant to pollinate it.
There you have it… our ordinary plant that delivers something more than ordinary for our eyes in the midst of the drabness of late winter. Possumhaw, or Deciduous Holly, with a little pop of color in the doldrums just before spring!