Ústăstĭ (American Holly)

The shiny green leaves and petite red berries of Ústăstĭ (Cherokee), or American Holly, are a familiar sight this time of year, but Indigenous communities use this plant as more than just a way to “deck the halls!”

Did you know, Ústăstĭ has household and medicinal uses? The red berries have been employed by the Cherokee as a digestive aid and dye. The Cherkoee have also used Ústăstĭ wood to make spoons and other carvings. Teas made from the leaves have been used by the Catawba for measles and other skin concerns, and the Choctaw have utilized a decoction of the leaves to alleviate sore eyes. Other tribes have preserved the berries to use as decorative - and coveted - buttons for clothing.

Plus, the berries provide food for 18 bird species! Ústăstĭ also offers important cover and nesting sites for many birds when other trees and shrubs are bare.

The Ústăstĭ is native along most of the Eastern seaboard, west to Texas. It’s also the state tree of Delaware!

Keep reading to learn about other plants native to the Delmarva region like Mahchipki (Pawpaw), Nènèskakw (Eastern Redbud), and Tehim (Strawberry).

*Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a doctor before using this plant for a medical purpose.*

Sources: Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, Native American Ethnobotany Database from University of Michigan-Dearborn, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Yale