shrub
Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'
Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 7–10, Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana' is a slow-growing evergreen shrub. It grows 3–5 ft tall and 3–5 ft wide, so plant it 3.5 ft apart. Give it full sun to shade and little water once established, and it copes with wet soil. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. It is native to the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf and Texas and the South-Central states. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Mountain West and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Low; tolerates wet soil
- Soil
- Tolerates clay, sand, alkaline soil and short wet spells.
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Grown for foliage
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- modern, classic, natural, low water
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. Holly is on the ASPCA toxic list (berries and leaves); this dwarf form rarely fruits.
- Native to
- Southeast, Florida/Gulf and South-Central
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $25–$40 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
- Pruning
- Shear once in late spring if a tighter shape is wanted.
Sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Texas A&M AgriLife deer-resistant landscape plant lists; state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 8
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a shady bed in zone 9
- Modern planting for a sunny bed in zone 8
- Natural-style plants for a sunny bed in zone 8
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, California
- Shade plants for humid summers in zone 8, Southeast
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Cast iron plantAspidistra elatiorperennial · zones 7–11
- Turk's capMalvaviscus arboreus var. drummondiiperennial · zones 8–10
- African irisDietes iridioidesperennial · zones 8–11
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Southern shield fernThelypteris kunthiifern · zones 7–10
- Pennsylvania sedgeCarex pensylvanicaornamental grass · zones 3–8
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
- Walter's viburnum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight'Viburnum obovatum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight'zones 7–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Inkberry holly 'Shamrock'Ilex glabra 'Shamrock'zones 4–9 · flagged toxic to pets
- Soft Caress mahonia 'Soft Caress'Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'zones 7–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata'Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'zones 7–9 · flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants