 "Ilex montana" is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to tall.The leaves are 3–9 cm long and 2–5 cm broad, light green, ovate or oblong, wedge-shaped or rounded at the base and acute at apex, with a serrated margin and an acuminate apex; they do not suggest the popular idea of a holly, with no spines or bristles.The leaves turn yellow before dropping in late autumn.