Many (though not all) species of holly have distinctive glossy green leaves that feature either spiny teeth or serrated edges. Almost all holly species are dioecious, meaning that you will need to plant both male and female for cross pollination if you desire fruit. The two species most often used for holiday decorations are the American holly (Ilex opaca) and the English holly (Ilex aquifolium). Here are 18 of the most common types of holly plants. huggy1 / Getty Images If you only have room for one American holly tree, look for the ‘Croonenburg’ variety. It is able to pollinate itself because it has male and female flowers on the same plant. If you prefer yellow fruit, choose the ‘Canary’ variety. There is also a female version with yellow fruit, labeled I. opaca f. xanthocarpa.

Native Area: Southern and eastern United StatesUSDA Zones: 5 to 9Height: 15 feet to 60 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Other common names for Carolina holly include possum holly and ambiguous winterberry.

Native Area: Southeastern U.S.USDA Zones: 7 to 9Height: 15 feet to 20 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Native Area: Eastern North AmericaUSDA Zones: Hardy to zone 4Height: 6 feet to 10 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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Native Area: China and KoreaUSDA Zones: 7 to 9Height: 6 feet to 25 feet, depending on the varietySun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

There are many common names by which I. verticillata is known regionally: coralberry, black alder, Michigan holly, Canada holly, deciduous holly, fever bush, Virginian winterberry, brook alder, and swamp holly.

Native Area: Eastern North AmericaUSDA Zones: 3 to 9Height: 6 feet to 12 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Native Area: Caribbean, eastern United States, and MexicoUSDA Growing Zones:  5 to 10Height: 20 to 40 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

ilbusca / Getty Images There are cultivars available with characteristics such variegated leaves (‘Monvila-Gold Coast’) or golden/apricot fruit (‘Apricot Glow’). The blue hollies or Meserve hollies (Ilex x meserveae) resulted from crossing this species with Tsuru holly (Ilex rugosa).

Native Area: Europe, Asia, and AfricaUSDA Growing Zones: 7 to 9Height: 15 to 50 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

igaguri_1 / Getty Images A cultivar named ‘Sparkleberry’ with bright red berries is the result of a cross between this species and the common winterberry (Ilex verticillata).

Native Area: China and JapanUSDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8Height: 6 to 15 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Like the inkberry, the fruit on this species is purple-black. The happy face spider plant (Theridion grallator) likes to live on this plant.

Native Area: HawaiiUSDA Growing Zones: 11 to 12Height: 30 feet to 40 feet tallSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Diane Labombarbe / Getty Images Among other common names used for this plant: evergreen winterberry, inkberry holly, gallberry, and bitter gallberry.

Native Area: Eastern and south-central U.S.USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9Height: 4 to 8 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

This holly species can be used to create topiaries. ‘Sky Pencil’ is a fastigiate cultivar—one with erect, parallel branches—that can be used to create a living fence. ‘Golden Gem’ is a variegated cultivar that garnered the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Native Area: China, Korea, and JapanUSDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8Height: 3 to 10 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Native Area: China, Japan, and TaiwanUSDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8Height: 10 to 30 feet (usually short of the maximum)Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Native Area: China and JapanUSDA Growing Zones: 7 to 9Height: 15 to 25 feet tall, sometimes up to 60 feet in native locationsSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Other common names for this plant include: dahoon, myrtle dahoon, myrtle holly, and myrtleleaf holly.

Native Area: Southeastern U.S.USDA Growing Zones: 7 to 10Height: Usually 15 to 25 feet, but can reach more than 40 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Native Area: China, Japan, Korea, and VietnamUSDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11Height: Up to 40 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

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Native Area: Macaronesian islands of Madeira and CanariasUSDA Growing Zones: 11 to 12Height: Up to 32 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Photo credit John Dreyer / Getty Images The name Indian black drink is used because the berries of this species were used in a ceremonial drink by Native Americans. It would make them vomit, leading to the species name and the other common name of emetic holly.

Native Area: Southeastern United StatesUSDA Zones: 7 to 9Height: 4 to 30 feetSun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

This species needs to be grown in soil that is acidic. You can create new plants through seed germination. The new tree will be ready for foliage use in a few years. In practice, each plant is only harvested every other year so that it retains enough leaves for proper growth.

Native Area: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and UruguayUSDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11Height: Up to 60 feetExposure: Full sun to partial shade