Yerba Matá

Ilex paraguariensis

Aquifoliaceae · broadleaf evergreen tree · introduced

Last updated May 11, 2026

Plant Profile

Size & Form

Height

20-30 ft

Site Requirements

Light

Full Sun to Part Shade

Hardiness

Zones 8b–9a

Ornamental Interest

Origin

includes parts of Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina

Peak Population & Dispersal

Phytophthora Root RotModerate

Growing Season Stress Expression

Sooty MoldModerate

Heavy Mold Colonization

Holly leafminerModerate

Adult Emergence & Egg Laying

+ 2 more — see full disease and pest lists below

Diseases: Regionally Documented (8)

Several factors Red Leaf Spotting Phytophthora leaf & twig blight Green algae Green Algae Many commercial Boron Deficiency Symptom category — not a single disease Leaf Spot Phytophthora spp. (P Phytophthora Root Rot Venturia spp. — multiple host-specific species: V Scab Fumago vagans Sooty Mold

Pests: Regionally Documented (10)

Parthenolecanium spp. Lecanium scale Pulvinaria floccifera Cottony camellia scale Coccus hesperidum Brown soft scale Argyrotaenia franciscana Orange tortrix Phytomyza ilicis Holly leafminer Rhopobota naevana Holly bud moth Aphidoidea Aphid Otiorhynchus spp. Root weevil Tetranychidae Spider mite Tortricidae Leafroller

Data Maturity

Structured Multiple sources. Expert review underway.