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_181205_165752.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=66f8ab599e3f2d81cc6366be9c5260d8 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-2_181205_165752.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=70fe80c079504dfc42e9c205bf950b22 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-2_181205_165752.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=914f300b5e8257212c8ee82cf4845519 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-2_181205_165752.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=16f108d6dcf5308dc57f3ed3f5235033 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 colors.
![Floom Ilex 3](https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-3_181205_165833.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=65a1965c96f2841fa7de830e6ac32c6c 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-3_181205_165833.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=1d29db83b34c0e761cbfa061c96fb07f 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-3_181205_165833.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=688e05b29be9c48280a6f1fd12eeb7ba 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-3_181205_165833.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=10f2a4d2fb9717239c8d3801ae41bd6e 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_181205_165902.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=711900c0a12e0ee26c480d07e24a5993 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-4_181205_165902.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=5c1d0b67aa45c3406466adbb646f9c98 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-4_181205_165902.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=8f3cb283ef740a134ae26014ee9f977b 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-4_181205_165902.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=dfc11121dc3eb60ec0e974f430b38799 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_181205_165926.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=323c0dd89c277db26ed80a3cf9b0549f 1440w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-5_181205_165926.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=ac7358940be8ca66db2a68282b0bab8b 1000w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-5_181205_165926.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=73a74da428d273805f4d75fd758f3edf 600w, https://floom.imgix.net/general/floom-ilex-5_181205_165926.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=aa6b5af04876ff8bbf0956c2df775bee 400w)