The ‘Eureka Gold Dwarf Yaupon’ (Ilex vomitoria ‘HOGY’ PP20786) is a compact, evergreen yaupon holly cultivar. It is valued for its vibrant golden-yellow foliage, which remains attractive year-round. Its dwarf stature makes it a favored choice for various garden applications, bringing a bright, consistent color accent to diverse settings.
Distinctive Features
The ‘Eureka Gold Dwarf Yaupon’ has a compact, mounding, and dense growth habit, typically reaching 4 to 5 feet in both height and spread. Its fine texture distinguishes it from plants with broader foliage.
The foliage emerges yellow in spring, maturing to a lime-green variegated gold with chartreuse hints. These small, glossy, oval leaves maintain their golden hue throughout the winter, providing consistent visual interest. The golden coloration is more vibrant with increased sun exposure. While a female clone, its berry production is limited and not a prominent landscape characteristic.
Planting and Site Selection
Successful establishment of ‘Eureka Gold Dwarf Yaupon’ requires proper site selection. This cultivar performs best in full sun to partial shade, as increased sun exposure enhances its golden foliage color. It prefers rich, acidic, well-draining soils but adapts well to most soil types.
When planting, dig a hole one and a half times wider than the container. Place the plant so the top of the root ball is at ground level, then backfill with soil. For multiple plantings, space them approximately 5 feet apart to allow for adequate mature growth.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance
Once established, ‘Eureka Gold Dwarf Yaupon’ is a low-maintenance shrub. New plantings require more frequent, thorough watering than established plants. While it prefers average to moist conditions, it demonstrates good drought tolerance once mature, though supplemental watering may be needed during prolonged dry periods.
Feed the plant in early spring and again in early fall with an all-purpose fertilizer, following label instructions. Pruning is best done in late winter to maintain its mounded shape, control size, or encourage denser growth. This yaupon cultivar also exhibits resistance to common pests and diseases, including leaf scorch, leaf spot, and powdery mildew.
Landscape Design Uses
The compact size and distinctive golden foliage of the ‘Eureka Gold Dwarf Yaupon’ make it highly versatile in landscape design. It is an excellent choice for a low hedge, defining garden beds or pathways with its dense, uniform growth. Its mounded form and vibrant color also make it suitable for mass plantings, creating broad sweeps of golden-green texture.
The ‘Eureka Gold’ can serve as an accent plant or be incorporated into rock and alpine gardens. Its adaptability extends to container planting, brightening patios or entryways. The year-round evergreen nature and bright foliage offer consistent interest and contrast in diverse garden palettes.