Holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Holly is a long lived tree that has left its mark in place names all over Britain. It had an important practical use in the past as it was fed to livestock in winter, which may have contributed to the belief that perseveres at least locally here that it is bad luck to cut it down. Its thorny deciduous leaves and its weak suckering tendency make it a good hedging plant for urban locations; it's well behaved and makes a great privacy or security hedge.

It's curious how Holly is more or less spikey; apparently if browsed the leaves regrow with more prickles, to deter animals - like the spikey photo here. 

Mature specimens were often left in the countryside when hedges were grubbed out, as marker or boundary trees. Holly has always been seen as a powerful magical plant too, with uses ascribed to it ranging from preventing ringworm to having power over horses - together with the pliability of its wood this made it the most popular wood for whips. Its very pale colour and propensity to take colour from staining also made it a favourite wood for furniture inlays.

You do come across areas of woodland where holly is the main plant in the understory, but it's rarely very dominant.

We are currently offering holly as small 30-40cm plants. It prefers to be pot grown, which is how we supply it. As with all our other native species grown and originating in the UK.

Holly suppliers: Perrie Hale Forest Nursery/RV Roger