Yaupon hollies are great and the easiest bonsai in the world.
About 4 years ago, when we moved into our new home, I saw a pile of yaupon hollies on the side of the road, on my street. It was June, hot as hell, and the shrubs were ripped out of the landscape, with their roots bare and dry. They must have been sitting bare root in the sun for several hours, the leaves already shriveled. The owner clearly had thrown them on the trash pile, getting ready to plant new trees instead.
As I walked by, I noticed them immediately, and picked up a trunk that looked interesting. I ringed the doorbell, but nobody responded. I was hoping to tell the owner that I am taking one off his trash pile. Later that day the garbage truck came and hauled the rest away.
I took the tree home and immediately planted it into a nursery can, with pumice in it.
The rest is history, the little tree has recovered and has since developed into a fat chuhin. It is hard to believe that it survived a bare rooting and total scorching of roots in the middle of June.
So, yes, this tree is tough. I have never experienced a die-back of the branches, so far.
I have another one that I have grown in my backyard, from a seedling. Recently I dug it out, and reduced the rootball by about 90%. It hasn't missed a beat, now growing in a nursery pot. No dieback on that either.
It seems as if no matter what you do, over or underwater, or cut it back to the bare minimum, you can't kill it. I've never seen a tree like that.