Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Shrub
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Ilex glabra, Ilex crenata, Ilex verticillata
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Number of Varieties
3-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Lowland, Mountains, Subtropical climates, Suburban areas
Desert, Lower slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-912-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Rosette
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water more in summer, Water when soil is dry
Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Shape and thin as needed
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Mixed Border, Wildflower
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
ILEX glabra
DASYLIRION texanum
Common Name
American Pokeweed, Inkberry, Silberstein American Pokeweed
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
In Hindi
Inkberry
sotol
In German
Inkberry
Dasylirion texanum
In French
Inkberry
sotol
In Spanish
Inkberry
sotol
In Greek
Inkberry
sotol
In Portuguese
Inkberry
sotol
In Polish
inkberry
sotol
In Latin
Inkberry
sotol
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Liliopsida
Order
Aquifoliales
Liliales
Family
Phytolaccaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Ilex
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
600300
1
27800
👆🏻