Plot & PetalField ManualAll plants
Dahoon holly
Ilex cassine
Family: Aquifoliaceae
Pet & Human Safety
People: Toxic to people (low severity)Pets: Toxic to pets
ASPCA has no dahoon entry. ASPCA's holly pages (I. opaca, I. aquifolium) name saponins and say vomiting, diarrhea and depression; those are not applied to dahoon because another species' verdict does not cover it. NC State rates the fruit low severity poison to humans (saponins; vomiting and diarrhea). Treat as a possible pet irritant; no listing does not mean safe.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonCare
- Hardiness zones
USDA 7a to 11b per NC State Plant Toolbox; UGA Bulletin 625 Georgia's Hardy Zone: 7, 8
- Water needs
moderate
- Mature size
NC State: 20 to 30 ft tall and 10 to 15 ft wide, slow growth, medium maintenance; NC State text says up to 20 to 30 ft in the wild and usually smaller in the landscape. UGA: shrub-table row 10-15 ft; small-tree row 10-20 ft tall and 8-10 ft spread, medium growth.
- Where it comes from
NC State: southeastern United States, Mexico, Bahamas, Cuba and Puerto Rico; Virginia to Florida and west to Texas; moist woods of the coastal plains, swamps and rich moist soils.
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
Get the app: coming soonAnatomy & Guilds
Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
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Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonVintage Plates
Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonSources
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox - Ilex cassine
- UGA Extension Bulletin 625, Landscape Plants for Georgia (published with full review Jan 9, 2025)
- UF/IFAS EP468 Alternatives to Invasive Plants Commonly Found in Central Florida Landscapes
- Clemson HGIC 2055 Holly Diseases and Insect Pests in South Carolina (updated Jul 15, 2026)
- ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list, all 69 index pages (items 1-1024)
- ASPCA - American holly (Ilex opaca) species page
- ASPCA - English holly (Ilex aquifolium) species page
- ASPCA - dahoon-holly search (no entry)
- Clemson HGIC 2055 Holly Diseases and Insect Pests in South Carolina (updated Jul 15, 2026)