Holly Ilex aquifolium
Height: to 20m
Flowers: Summer
Berries: Late autumn and winter
Holly is a native species and slower growing than many shrubs, but once established it provides an evergreen contrast to other hedge plants and prickly protection for nesting and roosting birds. It grows to a dense, many-branched small to medium tree if not pruned back. The leaves are elliptical with sinuous margins bearing substantial sharp spines, although the upper leaves of large trees are usually entire and have only a single spine at the tip.
Holly is dioecious, with only one sex on each plant, and as only the female bears berries, it is preferentially planted. There are so many male self-sown hollies from berries dropped by birds that pollination is not usually a problem.
History and uses
An old name for holly was “holme”, and we retain this in the name of the non-native evergreen oak Quercus ilex which has ivy-like leaves as “holme oak”.
Holly hedges are practically impenetrable, and so historically the plant has been a popular choice for a security hedge. Holly has long had Christian associations and was linked to the crown-of-thorns. Partly because of the season for its bright berries, it has been associated with Yuletide and Christmas, although in a cold year the birds often strip the berries before we can harvest sprigs for decorations. Hollies growing in hedges were often left to grow into taller trees, to provide a barrier to witches which would run along the tops of hedges. In the past, the upper, less thorny branches of holly were cut for winter fodder for livestock, its evergreen nature providing welcome fresh material.
Slow-growing holly has hard, white, close-grained wood and was used for cabinet making, rulers and mathematical instruments, and blocks for wood engraving. It is popular for making walking sticks.
Associated species
The ripe berries provide food for blackbirds and other berry-eating birds including visiting redwings and fieldfares that may be seen feeding in the taller holly trees throughout the winter months. Holly supports about thirty insect species, especially hemipterans and lepidoptera including the privet hawk moth’s larvae.1. The first generation of the holly blue butterfly Celastrina argiolus lays eggs on the small white flowers that come out in early to late summer, and the caterpillar feeds on the developing berries. The second generation feeds on ivy. Both plants are common in hedges and gardens, and the holly blue is our commonest garden blue butterfly.
References
Page drafted by Caroline Ware, extended and compiled by Steve Head
Above: Holly flowers, with male flowers with large stamens above and female flowers with larger petals below.
Left: Two leaves from the same holly tree. The serrated leaf with many spines id from low on the tree, the entire leaf with a single spine is from the upper branches.
Holly Ilex aquifolium
Height: to 20m
Flowers: Summer
Berries: Late autumn and winter
Holly is a native species and slower growing than many shrubs, but once established it provides an evergreen contrast to other hedge plants and prickly protection for nesting and roosting birds. It grows to a dense, many-branched small to medium tree if not pruned back. The leaves are elliptical with sinuous margins bearing substantial sharp spines, although the upper leaves of large trees are usually entire and have only a single spine at the tip.
Holly is dioecious, with only one sex on each plant, and as only the female bears berries, it is preferentially planted. There are so many male self-sown hollies from berries dropped by birds that pollination is not usually a problem.
Above: Holly flowers, male flowers with large stamens above and female flowers with larger petals below.
Left: Two leaves from the same holly tree. The serrated leaf with many spines id from low on the tree, the entire leaf with a single spine is from the upper branches.
History and uses
An old name for holly was “holme”, and we retain this in the name of the non-native evergreen oak Quercus ilex which has ivy-like leaves as “holme oak”.
Holly hedges are practically impenetrable, and so historically the plant has been a popular choice for a security hedge. Holly has long had Christian associations and was linked to the crown-of-thorns. Partly because of the season for its bright berries, it has been associated with Yuletide and Christmas, although in a cold year the birds often strip the berries before we can harvest sprigs for decorations. Hollies growing in hedges were often left to grow into taller trees, to provide a barrier to witches which would run along the tops of hedges. In the past, the upper, less thorny branches of holly were cut for winter fodder for livestock, its evergreen nature providing welcome fresh material.
Slow-growing holly has hard, white, close-grained wood and was used for cabinet making, rulers and mathematical instruments, and blocks for wood engraving. It is popular for making walking sticks.
Associated species
The ripe berries provide food for blackbirds and other berry-eating birds including visiting redwings and fieldfares that may be seen feeding in the taller holly trees throughout the winter months. Holly supports about thirty insect species, especially hemipterans and lepidoptera including the privet hawk moth’s larvae.1. The first generation of the holly blue butterfly Celastrina argiolus lays eggs on the small white flowers that come out in early to late summer, and the caterpillar feeds on the developing berries. The second generation feeds on ivy. Both plants are common in hedges and gardens, and the holly blue is our commonest garden blue butterfly.
References
Page drafted by Caroline Ware, extended and compiled by Steve Head