Holly trees go hand in hand with the festive period (“of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown”). They were widely used in pagan winter solstice celebrations (the Holly King), signifying that from December 21 the days start to get longer.
Christmas wreaths and decorations are studded with holly foliage and its cheery berries, but as garden trees they are perhaps a little out of favour because they are quite slow growing.
Once established, however, they bring a fine sense of maturity to a space and are wonderful trees for wildlife; their spiky evergreen leaves offer protection for nesting birds and their berries are an important winter food source.
Ilex aquifolium ‘JC van Tol’
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Many holly trees have dark glossy green leaves, and there
