Tree of the month: December 2023 - Holly

Perhaps the most easily recognised of all our native trees the Holly grows in most soils except those that are very wet. The native form, slow growing, can reach a height of 20 metres and live for 300 years. Holly often occurs as a tree in old hedgerows because, in the past, it was considered bad luck to cut it down. There are many decorative forms which are often planted in gardens and parks- they can have the classic prickly leaves or be smooth, have the dark-green glossy leaves of our native trees or be variegated silver or gold.

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The Holly has small, slightly scented four-petalled flowers in spring. Male and female flowers grow on different trees. Bees are the main pollinators. Feeding on the nectar and pollen on a male tree they inadvertently carry the pollen onto the female tree, pollinating the flowers which then produce the iconic red berries of winter.

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Place-names: The old names for Holly include Holm and Hollin (Old English ‘holegn’- to prick), names which live on in several Sheffield place-names.

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Wildlife value of Holly: Although poisonous to us, the bright berries of Holly are a great source of food for our birds, especially the Thrush family which includes the Blackbird, Song and Mistle Thrush, and the winter visitors, Redwing and Fieldfare. Mistle Thrushes will often guard a laden tree, protecting the berries for themselves and chasing off all-comers. Small mammals also feed on the berries.

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You may see evidence, on the leaves, of the Holly leaf-miner fly, but the best known wildlife of Holly is the beautiful, tiny Holly Blue Butterfly. The butterfly itself is our most widespread Blue butterfly and flies rapidly, usually a few feet off the ground, seeking flowers rich in nectar. It is the first brood of caterpillars which feed on the Holly flowers - the later brood feeds on the flowers of the Ivy.

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Holly leaves as fodder: Holly leaves are highly nutritious and used to be cut for animal fodder, especially for sheep but also for cattle and deer.

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Holly and Parkwood Springs: Parkwood Springs was once part of a Deer Park so it is very likely that Holly growed in groves for fodder (hollins), which would have been a feature of our ‘country park in the city’. Holly was also grown in dense hedges or enclosures (‘hags’ or ‘hags of hollins’) in deer-parks to aid the round-up of deer for herd-management, for hunting or just for food.

Holly leaves are very prickly but it is usually the lower branches of our native trees that have the prickliest leaves, evolved specifically to deter such grazing. Mostly, in the wild, the upper branches have much smoother leaves and it is from these higher parts that holly branches were cut to supplement fodder, especially when grass was too frozen for grazing.

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Other Human Uses for Holly: Holly wood is hard, fine-grained, and white. It has been used in cabinet-work, marquetry and engraving. It is also commonly used to make walking sticks and broom-handles, for wood-turning and in Lancashire it was prized for making bobbins for the cotton-mills. Such stable wood, it was used to make mathematical instruments. Bird-lime was prepared from the inner bark and as fire-wood it burns with a high heat. The leaves have been used to treat colds and fevers, and as a diuretic.

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Symbols and Myths: In Norse mythology Holly was associated with thunder and the God Thor. It was planted near dwellings as a protection against lightening.

The Druids and Celts viewed the evergreen leaves and long-lasting berries as magical, signifying eternity and ensuring the arrival of spring. Celts believed the ‘twins’ Holly and Oak were engaged in a battle to rule the woods - mighty Oak ruled the summer but, when oak leaves dropped, Holly won the battle for winter. Druids believed that Holly protected from evil spirits, goblins and witches so bringing Holly indoors would protect the residents while also sheltering fairies from the cold. It was hoped the fairies would then be kind to the householders. Bathing young babies in water from the leaves was believed to protect them from harm.

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Christianity adapted pre-existing beliefs, interpreting the red berries and prickly leaves as the blood of Jesus in a crown of thorns. Holly has been used to decorate houses and churches in winter for millennia - as children we walked the woods collecting holly to decorate the house every year. Wreaths still adorn many homes and front doors over the 12 days of Christmas.

In Stowe’s ‘Survey of London” 1598 it states:
‘every man’s house…..the corners of every street were decorated with holme (holly)’.

The carol ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ is still a favourite. People also still claim that a heavy crop of holly berries means a cold winter ahead although it is actually due to conditions prevailing the previous summer.

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The Holly in poetry:
Perhaps it is no surprise that the Holly appears in many poems, a few extracts of which are included here:
Robert Burns: The Vision -
‘Green, slender, leaf-clad holly boughs
Were twisted, gracefu’, round her brows;
I took her for some Scottish Muse,
By that same token;
And come to stop those reckless vows,
Would soon be broken….’.

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Thomas Hardy: Birds at Winter Nightfall
‘…around the house the flakes fly faster,
And all the berries now are gone
From holly and cotoneaster
Around the house.
The flakes fly! - faster’

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John Betjeman: Christmas
‘…The holly in the windy hedge
And round the Manor House the yew
Will soon be stripped to deck the ledge,
The altar, font and arch and pew,
So that the villagers can say
‘the church looks nice’ on Christmas day..’