American Holly
Scientific name: Ilex opaca
Overview
American Holly is a unique North American hardwood known for its exceptionally pale, nearly white coloration and fine texture. It is commonly used in decorative woodworking, inlays, piano keys, carvings, and specialty items where a clean white appearance is desired.
Quick Facts
- Common Name: American Holly
- Scientific Name: Ilex opaca
- Region: North American Hardwoods
- Tree Size: 30–50 ft tall, 1–2 ft trunk diameter
- Average Dried Weight: 36 lbs/ft³ (580 kg/m³)
- Janka Hardness: 1,020 lbf
- Color: Cream white to pale gray-white
- Grain: Straight
- Texture: Fine
Identification Characteristics
American Holly is easily recognized by its nearly white appearance and smooth, fine texture. Clean pieces with minimal discoloration are especially valued.
Key identification traits include:
- Cream white coloration
- Fine, uniform texture
- Straight grain pattern
- Smooth appearance
Working Properties
American Holly machines well and is favored for precision woodworking and decorative applications.
- Easy to machine
- Turns and carves well
- Sands to a smooth finish
- Moderate stability during drying
Safety Note
Wood dust may cause irritation. Use proper dust collection and respiratory protection.
Common Uses
American Holly is commonly used in decorative and fine woodworking applications.
- Inlays and decorative accents
- Carvings and turned objects
- Specialty woodworking projects
Sustainability & Notes
This species is widely distributed throughout eastern North America, though perfectly white lumber can be difficult to obtain due to staining during drying.
Comparative Notes & Related Species
American Persimmon – Another North American species with fine texture and dense structure from the ebony family.
American Basswood – A softer carving wood with similar smooth working properties.
European Boxwood – A dense fine-textured wood traditionally used for carving and detail work.
Related Guides
How to Identify Exotic Hardwood by Grain Pattern – Explains how fine texture and grain structure help identify species like holly.
Preserving Color in Purpleheart & Padauk – Useful for understanding color preservation and discoloration in sensitive woods.
Labeling and Cataloging Wood – Helps collectors organize visually distinctive woods such as holly.
Compare Wood Properties
See how this species ranks in density and hardness using our Wood Density & Janka Hardness Chart. You can also explore Hardest Woods, Softest Woods, and Most Dense Woods for quick comparisons.
Collector Notes
American Holly is a highly desirable collector species because of its naturally white coloration, making it stand out dramatically against darker hardwoods in a wood collection.
Video Overview
Share Your Photos of This Species
Do you have lumber, wood samples, tree photographs, woodworking projects, furniture, carvings, turnings, musical instruments, or other items made from this species?
Exotic Woods of the World welcomes photographs from woodworkers, collectors, sawyers, researchers, and wood enthusiasts around the world. Selected submissions may be featured on this page and throughout our website to help document and showcase real-world examples of this species.
When submitting photos, please include the common name, scientific name (if known), a brief description, and any information you would like us to share with the image.
Wood Sample Collection
This species is part of an ongoing effort to document and preserve wood samples from around the world.
Learn more about contributing to the collection:
Resources
Authoritative botanical and forestry references used in compiling information about this species include:
• USDA Forest Service – Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material
https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/products/publications/
• The Wood Database – Global reference for wood identification, physical properties, and woodworking characteristics
https://www.wood-database.com/
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Plants of the World Online – Botanical taxonomy and species distribution database
https://powo.science.kew.org/
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Red List) – Global conservation status assessments
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) – International trade regulations for protected plant species
https://cites.org/
Additional forestry publications, academic research papers, and regional timber studies may also be referenced where available.
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Through the Adopt a Species program, visitors can help support ongoing species research, educational content, photography, video production, and future conservation awareness initiatives.
Contributions help fund the continued expansion of this archive while promoting sustainable forestry education and the long-term appreciation of the world’s forests.
Interested in supporting this species? Visit our Adopt a Species and Conservation Partners pages to learn more.
Availability & Where to Buy
Exotic hardwood availability can vary significantly depending on region, sustainability regulations, and supplier inventory.
As this archive grows, recommended suppliers and specialty wood retailers will be listed here to help woodworkers locate responsibly sourced material.
Lumber Suppliers:
Availability varies — see the Where to Buy Exotic Woods page for current sources.
Related Tools & Products:
• Small Woodworking Projects (Best of Fine Woodworking) for building boxes, stools, shop accessories, and other practical weekend woodworking projects
https://amzn.to/4vA2kk3
• 80-Piece Threaded Insert Nuts and Furniture Screw Set for creating strong, reusable threaded connections in woodworking, furniture building, and shop projects
https://amzn.to/3SmACIO
• Power Tool Organizer with Charging Station for organizing cordless drills, batteries, chargers, and other power tools while keeping your workshop neat and efficient
https://amzn.to/4oU2XST
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