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Ilex amelanchier M.A. Curtis ex Chapman
Serviceberry Holly
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: No Georgia state protection
Global Rank: G4
State Rank: S2
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 9
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Wet, sandy thickets; cypress-gum swamps
Ilex amelanchier is a large shrub or small tree that can grow up to 30 feet (10 meters) tall. The leaves are deciduous, meaning they fall off in autumn, and resemble those of Amelanchier (serviceberry), hence the species' epithet and common names. The leaves are up to 3.5 inches long, alternate, oval, widest near the middle with rounded to somewhat pointed tips and bases and have small teeth on the margins. Bud scales fall off shortly after opening in the spring. The female and male flowers occur on separate plants, mostly in clusters, and are small, white, or yellowish-green with five lobes on stalks that are 0.4 to 1.2 inches (1 to 3 cm) long. The five sepals fall off shortly after flowering. The fruits are round, about 0.3 inches (8-10 mm) wide, and orange to reddish-orange, with little or no shine, and dangling on a stalk 0.4 to 1.2 inches (1 to 3 cm) long.
Ilex amelanchier can be distinguished from the other seven deciduous hollies in Georgia by several characteristics. The leaves of I. amelanchier are less pointed with a more rounded base and tip, whereas other deciduous hollies in Georgia tend to have more pointed or tapered leaf tips or bases. The sepals and bud scales of I. amelanchier fall off in the spring shortly after leafing and flowering, while with other deciduous hollies, sepals are retained on the ripened fruiting and bud scales often remain attached for several seasons. The fruit of I. amelanchier is orange to red in color and slightly or not shiny at all, whereas fruits of other deciduous hollies in Georgia are typically shiny and red or dark red.
The closest relative to Ilex amelanchier is Ilex mucronata, also known as Mountain Holly, which is not known to occur in Georgia. Mountain Holly is found in the northeast United States and eastern Canada. It shares similar leaf shape, less-shiny fruit, and early loss of leaf scales and sepals with Serviceberry Holly. It resembles a somewhat smaller version of I. amelanchier.
Other rare deciduous hollies found in Georgia include Ilex collina (Mountain Longstalk Holly) and Ilex cuthbertii (Cuthbert Holly). These hollies differ from I. ameliancher by the same characteristics as other Georgia hollies (see Similar Species above). Ilex collina is found on high mountain tops in Georgia. Ilex cuthbertii is found on dry wooded slopes near the fall line near Agusta, Georgia.
Typically found growing in coastal plain seasonally flooded swamps along with Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), Water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), Swamp titi (Cyrilla racemiflora), Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), Red maple (Acer rubrum).
When found growing in Georgia, Ilex amelanchier trees are typically widely scattered in swamps. They rarely form small thickets or colonies by the spread of rhizomes, although populations like this occur in other parts of its range. For example, in the Panhandle of Florida, there is a dense population in a several-acre depression pond composed of densely growing Ilex amelanchier, interspersed with pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens).
Sexual reproduction is with female and male flowers on separate plants, a reproductive strategy that prevents self-fertilization. Hollies are usually pollinated by small bees and other insects. Holly fruits (technically called drupes) are an important late winter food source for birds.
The best time to search for the Serviceberry Holly tree is in late summer or early fall when its ripe fruit is visable. If you're conducting a survey in spring through mid-summer, you can still identify the tree by looking at its bark and leaf shape. Serviceberry Holly trees are typically found wildly dispersed, growing infrequently throughout the swamp forest. To identify them, look for trunks with grayish-brown bark marked with horizontal lenticels. Then, search for oval or near oval leaves that are often found high in the swamp canopy. If a branch is available, check to see if there are any remaining bud scales at the current year’s nodes. If so, this indicates this is not Ilex amelanchier but possibly one of the other deciduous hollies known from Georgia; it might be Ilex decidua or Ilex verticillate which occur in similar range and habitats.
Serviceberry holly is known from the mid to lower coastal plain of Georgia.
Ditching, draining, and filling wetlands; alteration of hydrology in streams and rivers. Changes in hydrology due to altered temperature and rainfall patterns related to climate change.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Natural system modifications | Climate change & severe weather | None |
| Specific Threat | Dams & water management/use | Temperature extremes | None |
The species has been infrequently found and reported in Georgia. Typically, when doing extensive focused searches for the plants only one or two individual trees have been found over a period of several hours searching. This seems to indicate the species could be more widely distributed than current sighting records indicate (Krakow, 1989).
Protect wetlands from ditching, draining, clearing, and logging. Protect floodplains from changes in stream flow and flooding regimes.
Godfrey, R. K. 1988. Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Northern Florida and Adjacent Georgia and Alabama. Published by The University of Georgia Press, Athens.
Krakow, G.A. 1989. A systematic study of Ilex ambigua, Ilex decidua, and related taxa. M.S. Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens.
NatureServe. 2019. Ilex amelanchier comprehensive report. NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Ilex+amelanchier
Small, J.K. 1933. Manual of the southeastern flora. Published by the Author, New York (Science Press Printing Company, Lancaster, Pennsylvania).
Greg Krakow
G. Krakow, Feb. 2023: original account