American Holly trees are easily found on the Inner Harbour campus where I work, and they are a favorite in the landscape. The tree’s pyramidal shape, glossy evergreen leaves with prickly spines, and bright red “berries” are particularly appreciated in the winter months from Christmas to March. Holly is associated with the Christmas season, and boughs and sprigs can be found decorating fireplace mantles, wreaths, and holiday meal place settings. The image is a seasonal favorite on Christmas cards and clothing. It is often used as an outdoor Christmas tree. The holly tree’s association with Christmas is an interesting story, and one to keep in mind when enjoying it in a bleak winter landscape.
American Holly trees, Ilex opaca, are easy to identify. They grow slowly to 80 feet or more, and may live as long as 400 years. Trees prefer partial shade with some full sun, and will not tolerate poorly drained areas. They will tolerate 20 to 25 degree cold, but only if they are protected from the wind and sun. Trunks of holly trees grow straight, with spreading limbs forming a pyramidal shape. Older trees lose this shape, with limbs sticking out in odd places, but trees can be pruned to control size and shape. It is considered best to prune sharply every 3 to 4 years, in late winter. Half or more of limbs can be removed. Bark is smooth and gray to grayish-brown.
Mature leaves of the American Holly are alternate and 2 to 4 inches long. They are 
simple, oval, satin green, and have 3 to 5 sharp spines along each leaf edge. They are smooth and leathery in texture, and glossy. The holly image most used to depict the Christmas season is a very similar holly, the English Holly or Ilex aquifolium. This holly has glossier and darker green leaves than the American Holly, and has 3 to 5 pronounced and sharp spines alternating upward and downward along each leaf edge. A careful look at leaves on both trees will reveal that top leaves most often are not spiny at all, but smooth. Farmers have been known to feed livestock the smooth leaves, and grind lower spiny leaves for feed also. Human ingestion of leaves causes vomiting, diarrhea, and intestinal problems. The evergreen leaves are normally replaced every 4 to 8 years.
Flowers are small and inconspicuous, and have 4 white petals. They bloom April to June. They originate where the leaf petiole joins the stem, with male and female flowers growing on separate plants. Trees must be 4 to 7 years old to flower. The red fruit of the American Holly are usually called berries, but they are really drupes. These drupes are about 1/3 inch in diameter and have a skin, a pulpy layer, and 4 to 9 hard nutlets in the middle. These “berries” are distasteful to birds and other animals trying to eat them until late spring, when freezes and thaws will have changed the taste. It is interesting to see a tree full of red “berries” losing them, top first, where leaves are less spiny. Human ingestion of holly “berries” causes vomiting and diarrhea in humans, and can be fatal if many are ingested.
Holly, ivy, mistletoe, and other evergreens figure as important symbols for the Christian Christmas season. This is ironic, as these symbols were borrowed from pagan practices celebrating the winter solstice. In Baal worship, December 25 was celebrated as the birthday of the sun-god Tammuz and was called Brumalia. On this day Tammuz, symbolized by a green tree, springs from the stump of Nimrod, or Baal. This green tree is mentioned in the Bible in Jeremiah 10:3-4. The stump is the yuletide log familiar to us today. In pagan Rome, Saturnalia was observed from what is now December 19 to December 25, to honor the sun god Saturn and Mother Earth. There was merrymaking festivals and exchanges of gifts and holly wreaths, with Bacchus as lord of 
the festivities. Holly, the sacred plant of Saturn, was used at the festivals to decorate images of him. In Northern Europe, this same sun god was worshipped but called Odin. The evergreen fir tree was sacred to Odin, and people decorated it to honor him during Saturnalia. Odin was supposed to bestow yuletide gifts to those who came to the sacred tree on the solstice. Druids believed the Holly king defeated the Oak king on the winter solstice. A boy was dressed in holly and a girl was dressed in ivy, to parade around the village symbolizing new life. Mistletoe was another feminine symbol, and had magical healing powers. A Holly placed in the home was supposed to welcome fairies and keep away witches. Sprigs of holly placed in hair or home was supposed to bring good luck, and a holly stick was supposed to bring wild animals to submission. Troll dolls similar to Santa’s elves were placed to watch how naughty or nice children were, to see who deserved gifts. Holly leaves were ground to sprinkle for magic, and holly trees were said to be protectors from lightening. The use of holly in the past, as today, is interesting- but nothing Christian.
As an aside, while talking about pagan influences on Christmas, it is noteworthy to mention that little effort was made by church fathers to find the real date of birth of Jesus. There was much anti-semitism at the time, and pushing aside knowledge of Jewish religious works, feasts and customs as heretic, they could not know the true date. Today, due to a better examination of facts, we know Jesus’s birth was not in the winter but in the fall. For those so interested, I recommend interesting and well-researched articles online concerning this by Roy A. Reinhold, who places Christ’s birth in September.
The American Holy tree is found throughout the eastern United States. Its attractive features make it a favorite in the winter landscape. It is a favorite for landscape hedges and specimens. It has none of the magic powers indicated above, but having white wood that stains easily with little grain, it is good for making piano keys and inlay work. Knowing these facts about American Holly tree’s features, history and uses is sure to make encounters with the tree more interesting and enjoyable.