LOCATION HOLLY OH+IL KY NY PA VA WV
Established Series
Rev. RAR-KK-MJ
10/2026
HOLLY SERIES
The Holly series consists of very deep, very poorly and poorly drained soils formed in loamy alluvium on flood plains. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high through high in the mineral soil. Slope ranges from 0 through 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 914 millimeters, and mean annual temperature is about 10.5 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, nonacid, mesic Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Holly silt loam - idle. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A -- 0 to 8 centimeters; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate medium granular structure; friable; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (5 to 20 centimeters thick.)
Bg1 -- 8 to 23 centimeters; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silt loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bg2 --23 to 36 centimeters; dark gray (5Y 4/1) silt loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Bg3 -- 36 to 69 centimeters; gray (5Y 5/1) sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; common medium and fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bg horizons are 25 through 81 centimeters.)
C1 -- 69 to 89 centimeters; gray (N 5/0) loam; massive; friable; common medium prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; slightly acid; clear wavy boundary.
C2 -- 89 to 109 centimeters; dark gray (N 4/0) sandy loam; massive; friable; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary.
2C3 -- 109 to 152 centimeters; dark greenish gray (5BG 4/1) gravelly sand; single grain; loose; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Summit County, Ohio; Bath Township, about 2.41 km (1 1/2 miles) northwest of Montrose; 335 meters (1,100 feet) east of Hametown Road and 670 meters (2,200 feet) south of Granger Road, T. 3 N., R. 12 W. USGS West Richfield, OH topographic quadrangle: Latitude 41 degrees, 8 minutes, 57 seconds N. and Longitude 81 degrees, 39 minutes, 36 seconds W., NAD 1927.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 50 through 112 centimeters. Thickness of loamy alluvium over other materials ranges from 100 to more than 150 centimeters. The average clay content in the particle size control section ranges from 18 through 30 percent.
The A or Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 2 through 4 (6 or more dry), and chroma of 1 or 2. It is silt loam, loam, silty clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam. Structure is commonly weak or moderate, fine to coarse, granular. In some pedons structure type is subangular blocky. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 through 10 percent by volume. It ranges from strongly acid through neutral.
The Bg horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, 5Y, or is neutral; value of 4 through 6; and chroma of 2 or less. It commonly is silt loam or loam and less commonly sandy loam or silty clay loam. Thin layers (less than 10 centimeters) with coarser or finer texture are present in some pedons. Structure is weak or moderate, fine through coarse, subangular blocky. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 through 15 percent by volume. It ranges from strongly acid through neutral in the upper part and from moderately acid through neutral in the lower part.
The Cg horizon has hue of 10YR to 5GY or is neutral, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 0 through 2. It commonly is silt loam, loam, sandy loam, or clay loam. Below 100 centimeters the soil typically is stratified and includes textures of loamy sand, sand, or their gravelly analogues. Thin strata of silty clay loam are in some pedons. Rock fragment content ranges from 0 through 25 percent by volume. It ranges from strongly acid through slightly alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: The
Hatboro series is in the same family. Hatboro soils have sola with thicknesses of 76 through 150 centimeters, and contain an appreciable amount of mica.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Holly soils are on broad flat areas and in slight depressions on flood plains receiving alluvium from upland areas of low-lime drift and noncalcareous sandstone and shale. Slope ranges from 0 through 3 percent. Elevation ranges from 174 through 550 meters above mean sea level. Mean annual precipitation is 750 through 1200 millimeters, and mean annual temperature is 8.3 through 12.2 degrees C. The frost-free period is 120 through 198 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Carlisle,
Chagrin,
Chili,
Fitchville,
Linden,
Lobdell,
Middlebury,
Orrville,
Sebring,
Wayland,
Wheeling, and
Willette soils. Wayland soils with dark surfaces and Carlisle or Willette soils that formed in organic materials typically are in deeper depressions in the landscape. The well drained Chagrin soils, moderately well drained Lobdell soils, and somewhat poorly drained Orrville soils are in a toposequence with Holly soils, all are in higher floodplain positions than the low lying Holly soils. Chili, Fitchville, Sebring, and Wheeling soils have argillic horizons and are on terraces of nearby landscapes. In addition, Chili and Wheeling soils formed in stratified outwash materials, and Fitchville and Sebring soils formed in lacustrine sediments. The Linden series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in alluvial sediments washed from nearby uplands that are underlain by red and brown shales, sandstones, and in some areas, conglomerate. The Middlebury series consists of very deep, moderately well drained nearly level soils formed in recent alluvium. These soils are on flood plains.
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Very poorly and poorly drained. The potential for surface runoff is negligible through low. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately high through high in the mineral soil. The depth to an intermittent apparent seasonal high water table is +30 through 30 centimeters from October through June in normal years. Subject to rare through frequent flooding.
USE AND VEGETATION: Some areas of Holly soils have been cleared and used for pasture or cultivation. Many areas are used as natural areas for wetland wildlife habitat. Native vegetation is soft maple, elder, willow, and other trees tolerant of wet sites.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. MLRA's 99, 101, 111, 113, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 139, 140, 147, and 148. The series is of large extent, over 250,000 acres.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Coffee County, Tennessee, 1908.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
1. Ochric epipedon - 0 through 8 centimeters (A horizon).
2. Cambic horizon - 8 through 69 centimeters (Bg1, Bg2 and Bg3 horizons).
3. Aquic conditions - 0 through152 centimeters.
The alkaline phase mapped in an earlier survey likely will be recorrelated as a new series when its area of use is updated.
Holly soils in legacy survey areas in MLRA 148 will be recorrelated to Hatboro when those areas are updated.
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.