2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Holly (Latin Ilex) Is a shade-tolerant woody plant from the Holly family. Its second name is holly.
Description
Holly is a luxurious deciduous or evergreen shrub. Sometimes this plant can be a small tree. The dense leathery leaves of the holly boast a rich dark green color. In most cases, they are serrated, however, sometimes they can be whole-edged.
Holly flowers are dioecious, therefore, in order to obtain the long-awaited colorful fruits, it is necessary to plant both female and male plants at the same time. Holly berries can be colored orange, black, white, yellow or red. Ripening with the onset of autumn, these unusual berries do not leave the branches of a beautiful plant, even under the snow.
In total, the genus of holly has about four hundred species - and this is only those that are already known to the scientific community, in reality there may be much more of them.
Where grows
Holly is especially widespread in Europe, Africa, China, America and Japan. In general, it can be found almost all over the world, especially in tropical or temperate regions.
Usage
The highly decorative holly is very much appreciated in culture for its incredibly beautiful shiny leaves and bright fruits that can boast of special sophistication. Holles are especially great in groups and are ideal for creating gorgeous hedges. And molded holly will be a real boon for regular (i.e. French) style gardens.
In a number of European countries, holly is also very popular as a Christmas plant - all kinds of Christmas decorations, garlands and wreaths are often made from it. The roots of this unusual tradition go back to the oldest Celtic culture.
And in folk medicine, holly leaves are used as a diuretic and anti-febrile remedy. Compresses from the bark of this plant perfectly help relieve even very severe pains, and holly berries are endowed with a pronounced laxative effect. These berries are not used for food, since they are poisonous.
Growing and caring
It is quite acceptable to plant the holly in the sun, but it is best to place this handsome man in partial shade, in areas that are reliably protected from the wind. And it will grow best on fertile, well-drained, fairly moist and moderately acidic soils, ideally garden soils. As for heavy soils, the holly grows extremely poorly on them, gradually losing its winter hardiness.
The holly needs moderate moisture, but it is capable of wintering only with good shelter. Yes, and in the spring, a shelter will also come in handy, since young shrubs can suffer quite a lot from early spring burns that are destructive for them. The holly also does not tolerate high temperatures and drought, so ideally it is important to try to provide it with the coveted coolness. They do not like adult plants and transplants, but the holly tolerates haircuts perfectly!
Sometimes in variegated varieties of holly, twigs with ordinary green leaves can grow - such twigs should be removed periodically.
Holly reproduces mainly in a vegetative way - by layering and cuttings. And it is better to plant them with the onset of spring.
Holly is very resistant to various diseases, but occasionally it can still be affected by late blight, which does not carry anything good.
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Geterantera Holly
Heterantera holly (lat.Heteranthera zosterifolia) - an aquatic plant from the Pontederia family. Description Geterantera holly is an aquatic plant, endowed with rather long stems (sometimes their length reaches half a meter) and very interesting leaves of light green color.
Mahonia Holly
Mahonia aquifolium (lat.Mahonia aquifolium) - a fruit shrub from the Barberry family. This culture is also called holly grapes, as well as lily of the valley shrubs or holly barberry. Description Mahonia holly is a beautiful evergreen shrub, the height of which almost never exceeds one meter.
Ostrifier Holly
Ostrifier holly is one of the plants of a family called legumes, in Latin the name of this plant will sound as follows: Oxytropis oxiphylla (Pall.) DC. As for the name of the acuminatus family itself, in Latin it will be like this: Fabaceae Lindl.
Pinera's Holly Anubias
Anubias Pinera lives in the waters of the Congo, Cameroon, Gabon and Zaire. Most often it can be found in shady places along the banks of streams and rivers with a rather slow current. This aquatic beauty looks very impressive in paludariums and in aquariums. Although this green pet shows rather slow growth rates in paludariums, it feels great there. Nevertheless, in our area it is extremely rare to see it. And this African handsome man got his name by name
Winter Holly Berries
An evergreen shrub, Holly adorns green leathery leaves with its bright red, cherry-like fruits. But this beauty is poisonous. But how elegant the red balls look against the background of green foliage or on the bare winter branches of a bush covered with white snow "waist-deep". Green Holly twigs compete in Europe with mistletoe twigs adorning dwellings on Christmas Eve
