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Ilex montana

Torr. & Gray ex Gray

Mountain Holly

G5Secure Found in 56 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.152300
Element CodePDAQU010N0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderCelastrales
FamilyAquifoliaceae
GenusIlex
Other Common Names
mountain holly (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
"The range of Ilex montana is sometimes stated or shown as broader, extending into the Coastal Plain in our area, and as far south as n. FL, LA, and e. TX, but these reports are based on misidentifications, primarily of the "beadlei" component of I. ambigua" (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Ilex montana is not considered to be present in Alabama, whereas Ilex ambigua is present (Keener et al. 2024, POWO 2024).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-06-05
Change Date1984-06-06
Edition Date2024-06-05
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Mountain Holly (Ilex montana) occurs in the eastern United States, nearly endemic to the Appalachian Mountains, from western Massachusetts and New York, south to north Georgia. It is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences, including on various National Forests, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Shenandoah National Park, and Catoctin Mountain National Park, and also on some state parks and state forests. Overall threat impact is low, loss of habitat due to residential development is a threat.
Range Extent Comments
Mountain Holly (Ilex montana) occurs in the eastern United States, nearly endemic to the Appalachian Mountains, from western Massachusetts and New York, south to north Georgia, but not extending into Alabama. Range extent was estimated to be 450,000 square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, Keener et al. 2024, POWO 2024, SEINet 2024, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences of Mountain Holly (Ilex montana) rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Overall threat impact is low. Loss of habitat due to residential development, and browsing by White-tailed Deer (Dodds 2022) are threats to Mountain Holly (Ilex montana).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Ilex montana occurs at higher elevations on rich soils on moist wooded slopes, ridges, ravines, and mountainsides, and at lower elevations rarely in headwater wetlands, bogs or bog edges, at 14 - 1860 meters (45 - 6100 feet) of elevation (Dodds 2022, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024).

Reproduction

Birds are the primary means of dispersal (Dodds 2022).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/Woodland
Palustrine Habitats
Bog/fen
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaSNRYes
New JerseyS1Yes
MassachusettsS1Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
New YorkS4Yes
MississippiS3Yes
ConnecticutS1Yes
South CarolinaSHYes
TennesseeSNRYes
MarylandS4Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationDECIDUOUS
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (56)
Georgia (8)
AreaForestAcres
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Cedar MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,083
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Tripp BranchChattahoochee National Forest615
North Carolina (14)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Pennsylvania (2)
AreaForestAcres
Hearts ContentAllegheny National Forest221
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Virginia (11)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Elliott KnobGeorge Washington National Forest9,380
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)Jefferson National Forest3,405
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
North Fork PoundJefferson National Forest4,757
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Shawvers Run AdditionJefferson National Forest1,927
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
West Virginia (16)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry ForkMonongahela National Forest657
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
Turkey MountainMonongahela National Forest6,421
References (9)
  1. Dodds, J. 2022.<i> Ilex montana</i> Rare Plant Profile. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites, State Forest Fire Service and Forestry, Office of Natural Lands Management, New Jersey Natural Heritage Program, Trenton, NJ. 16 pp. [https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/docs/ilex-montana-large-leaf-holly.pdf]
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Keener, B.R., A.R. Diamond, T.W. Barger, L.J. Davenport, P.G. Davison, S.L. Ginzbarg, C.J. Hansen, D.D. Spaulding, J.K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2024. Alabama Plant Atlas. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research. University of South Florida]. University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.
  6. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  7. Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2024. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Online. Available: https://powo.science.kew.org/ (accessed 2024).
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  9. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.