I’ve read that the word “holly” is closely related to the word “holy.” Hollies were considered sacred or magical to primitive people on the British Isles since they bore leaves and fruit during the Winter Solstice. The tradition continues today as we use holly boughs as Christmas decorations.

Holly flowers are tiny and not generally noticed by humans. Since holly flowers are dioecious, “it takes two to tango.” Staminate (or “male”) flowers bloom, produce pollen and fall off the plant. Pistillate (or “female”) flowers bloom on different plants. The pistillate flowers mature into fruit if they receive pollen from a staminate flower. Since the two types of flowers occur on separate plants, pollen must be transported between them. So even though the flowers are practically invisible to us, they are abuzz with bees in spring.

When most Mississippians think of hollies they visualize the Chinese holly which is commonly used in landscaping. Chinese hollies are glossy evergreens with spiny leaves and red fruit.

The holly genus is much more diverse than that. Asia, Europe and North America all have native hollies which are cultivated here. These plants can be quite variable, but all are trees or shrubs with berry-like fruit. Our native possumhaw holly is deciduous. Japanese hollies and dwarf yaupon hollies have leaves similar to boxwoods with no spines at all. Other hollies like the Japanese and native inkberry hollies can have black or purple fruit.

If you seek a low mounded evergreen to use as a foundation plant, dwarf yaupon holly can be found in any garden center. This compact cultivar of the native yaupon is by far the most pest resistant and drought tolerant of the green meatball shrubs. At age 10 with almost no pruning, dwarf yaupon can attain a four or five foot height. Due to the shrub’s slow growth rate, it is easily maintained at two to three feet with a little pruning. Dwarf yaupon is a great substitute for finicky boxwood or Japanese hollies. Unfortunately, however, this tough shrub is fruitless.

If a stunning fruit display is your priority, Burford Chinese holly is also quite easy to purchase locally. Burford has leathery leaves with one to three spines at the tip. During fall and winter, branches are laden with red berry-like fruit — perfect for Christmas decorating. Burford holly becomes over 15 feet tall with age. Due to the immense size, Burford holly is best used away from the house as a screen or traffic barrier.

The deciduous possumhaw holly has an even more striking fruit display. This native shrub or small tree is lovely in winter when bare branches are covered with red berry-like fruit. If you make winter drives to Starkville or Tupelo, you’ll notice the possumhaw growing in the fence-rows along Highway 45 near Brooksville.

Possumhaw is one of my favorite hollies. In a former life, my front yard was graced with a large possumhaw. I admired it all winter long. In February a flock of cedar waxwings descended and stripped the fruit in one day. Luckily, I was home to watch the show as the flock of beautiful birds feasted.

Regardless of nationality, most hollies are tough, durable landscape plants. Generally they thrive in acid well drained soils. Like most trees and shrubs they are best planted in fall. If you need a tough foundation plant, a low hedge, a traffic-stopping screen or a natural bird feeder, there’s probably a holly out there to meet your needs.



Gail Barton is coordinator of the Horticulture Technology Program at Meridian Community College.