As a universal symbol of the festive season, what better time to celebrate holly as our Flower of the Month than December? While it’s technically more of a plant, the holly bush sprouts small white flowers with four petals which (once pollinated by insects) develop into distinctive scarlet berries that contrast perfectly with its glossy spiked green leaves. Scientifically known as Ilex aquifolium, holly is dioecious (from the Greek for “two households”) – meaning that its male and female flowers occur on different trees – and evergreen, so its leaves stay lush and leathery all year round.
![Floom Ilex 2](https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=c74eac322aef878887fef74984e6825f 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=d056d1049a62f2944c51366a370361c9 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=1dd00099c2c5a3b3ff42234ae05d1918 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=505983e5a2a697d68211150b89c5dd7c 400w)
A brief history
Native to the UK and across Europe, north Africa and western Asia, holly commonly found in woodland, scrub and hedgerows, especially in oak and beech woodland. Famed for its ornamental qualities, its popular as a shrub that’s widely planted in parks and gardens and is capable of living a ginormous total of 500 years (but usually doesn’t reach 100).
The bright scarlet berries attract many birds, especially thrushes including blackbirds, fieldfares, redwings and mistle, and the leaves provide food for 29 specials of insects. Meanwhile, there are many cultivated forms featuring alternative foliage and berry colours.
![Floom Ilex 3](https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=6a59ce2d648943b7833d9ff51a875759 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=fced81043baa80160c8760079462c629 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=474f1c95a581ebf24e6e45882a4993cc 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=e322033cf70f36146b4b0d4f6ea3153b 400w)
Pagan rituals
In pagan ritual, the evergreen green leaves of the holly plant symbolised the male god carrying life through the winter. While some believe that its use at Christmas is owed to the fact that holly leaves look like Christ's crown of thorns and that the berries looking like blood, others believe that this similarity has been used to justify adoption of a pagan ritual. In pagan belief, the holly king rules from midsummer to midwinter when he is replaced by the oak king, until the following midsummer.
![Floom Ilex 4](https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-4.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=d54485f8aa3146c24bdb61495731be5e 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-4.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=e68c81fa2530dd28fa0df489e7f2ce48 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-4.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=905d2f17aa9801b6fb39a155ba44eeaf 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-4.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=a96f11fe4a12a4b870052a9c597138c6 400w)
Festive Symbolism
Holly branches have been used to decorate homes in winter for decades and common holly has long been associated with Christmas, and previously the Roman festival of Saturnalia. This could be owing to its evergreen nature. When winter came rolling in, and the landscape appeared dead and lifeless, holly remained green and full of berries, giving hope for new life in the spring. In turn, sprigs of holly were brought into the home in the depth of winter, and thus to ward away evil. It was thought to be unlucky to cut down a holly tree. Nowadays, holly branches are still used to decorate homes and of course, to make Christmas wreaths.
![Floom Ilex 5](https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1440&s=17369c6c8ab95edb74dabf0c8fb10ce4 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=1000&s=d9688d31d24c6a6e4a8e0c7c3c2d487b 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=600&s=97523e317924a4070bcca921656512f1 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-5.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&ixlib=php-1.1.0&q=65&w=400&s=13123479be14433a1ac175f79918c9fa 400w)