Toothless leaves

Leaves with fruits

Male flowers

The hairless, leathery, alternate leaves are dark green above and lighter beneath, with a very narrow, pale margin. They are up to 10 cm long on short stalks less than 10 mm in length. The margins are normally undulate with large triangular, spine-pointed teeth, but on old trees and upper branches the leaves may be spineless.

ID check

Holly is an evergreen tree or shrub with a grey, smooth bark usually only up to 10 m in height but reaching 20 m in cultivation. It is found in woods, scrub, hedges and rocky ravines up to 550 m in the mountains.

The male and female flowers are on separate trees, so only the females produce red berries.

The white, scented flowers, with 4 sepals and petals, are arranged in tight clusters and open in May.

The twigs are green and only slightly hairy when they are young.

Facts

• Many varieties are cultivated - often with variegated leaves.

• The berries are a favourite winter food of redwings, fieldfares and mistle thrushes.

• The dense, heavy wood can be used for carving and making woodcuts.