Holly has been used for hundreds of years – in Roman times they thought that Holly branches brought indoors would protect their houses from lightening strikes and witches’ spells!

The ancient druids used it as decoration and in England today Holly is regarded as a lucky tree and is a traditional decoration for Yuletide.

Although to burn Holly on your fire will bring disaster before another year has passed - so be warned!

Holly timber is used for making walking sticks and their young stems are said to be excellent for caged rabbits to gnaw on.

English Holly has small fragrant white flowers in late spring to early summer. It has prickly evergreen oval leaves and glorious red berries in the autumn and winter months – providing the birds do not eat them all.

• Grows in most soils but does not like poor drainage
• Will grow in sun, or part shade or on a windy site
• You need both sexes for berries
• It is slow growing
• Clip into shape in late spring or early autumn
• Clip or prune with secateurs , hedge trimmers will leave brown marks on the cut leaves
• Grows to 15 foot as a shrub and 30 foot as a small tree.
• Hardy in Britain and USDA zones 6 -8

Holly is good grown in a pot and clipped into shape, it can also be used for evergreen hedging (plant 45cm or 18inches apart). Grow it as a garden shrub or allow it to grow into a handsome specimen small tree.

There are many varieties of Holly available today if English Holly is unsuitable for your garden why not try one of the variegated ones which have a more compact habit and golden green leaves.

Please note that the berries are toxic if eaten by humans.

Enjoy your garden!