Two Hollies

Although there are over 400 species of holly (ilex), which can look remarkably different as my blip collage demonstrates, holly is none the less a well known and much liked winter shrub.

At this time of year it is traditional to decorate our homes with evergreens such as European holly or Christ's thorn, (Ilex aquafolium). Pagans believed that evergreens would keep away evil spirits and illnesses. In addition they believed that holly specifically would increase fertility and ward off lightning strikes.

It was held that the Holly King ruled the dark half of the year, while his counterpart and adversary the Oak King ruled in the lighter months.

The North American species known as Winterberry, Michigan Holly, or Canada Holly, (Ilex verticillata), is deciduous, but like it’s European cousin, produces blood red berries on female plants, poisonous to humans but very tasty for birds.

Hollies, like other plants, can make different types of leaves (prickly and smooth) at the same time. This is called hetererophilly. (I think Knottman blipped about this not long ago). A Spanish study showed that the lower 2.5m of a holly tended to produce more prickly leaves, to prevent browsing by animals. However there are also variations between species as shown in my blip, one shrub being entirely smooth and the other being entirely prickly. Perhaps the smooth one would alter if it were nibbled by deer?