VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Ilex vomitoria | Yaupon 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
The wood of yaupon is heavy, hard, strong, and close grained.  It is
sometimes used for turnery, inlay work, and woodenware [38].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Yaupon fruit and seed are eaten by a variety of animals such as wild
turkey, racoon, squirrel, and wild hog [10,14,33].

Yaupon leaves are a high choice browse of white-tailed deer [10].


PALATABILITY : 
The leaves of yaupon are considered highly palatable to white-tailed deer
[10].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Percent dry weight nutrient values for yaupon are as follows [18].

                     spring     summer     fall     winter

protein               9.36       8.71      8.85      6.94
fat                   3.09       3.12      3.67      4.84
fiber                17.33      26.69     21.85     21.62
N-free extract       46.34      42.40     46.34     48.53
ash                   8.88       4.07      4.28      3.07
phosphorus            0.11       0.07      0.06      0.07
calcium               0.27       0.23      0.62      0.41  


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Because of yaupon's ability to survive the combined effects of salt
spray, constant wind, full sunlight, and high temperatures, it has been
planted on the beaches and dunes of the Southeastern Coastal Plain
[4,14].  In Texas, yaupon was planted to restore borrow pits for
wildlife use [22].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Yaupon leaves were used by Native Americans for their emetic and
purgative qualities [38].

Yaupon is often cultivated as an ornamental because of its bright red
berries and evergreen leaves [38].  It is used extensively for hedges
and is also planted on seaside resorts [14,39].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Yaupon is undesirable in understories of southern pine plantations.  It
competes with pine seedlings and contributes to an accumulation of
understory fuels, which increases the potential for wildfires
[12,23,34].

Aerial applications of tebuthiuron were found to control yaupon and
other hardwoods effectively in eastern Texas [19,25].

Related categories for Species: Ilex vomitoria | Yaupon