The University of Tennessee - Forest Resources Research and Education Center

Use this handy guide to enjoy the extensive Elmore Holly Collection at the Forest Resources Center Arboretum located in Oak Ridge, TN. Click on any of the links at right to enhance your enjoyment of the "Holly Spectacular" or scroll down to read about the lore of hollies.

Decorating with Holly

A timeless publication about how our decorating with holly results from a mixture of cultures by Mark Halcomb, University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension, Area Nursery Specialist.

I recently ran across some interesting information about the holiday use of holly that I thought might interest you as it did me.

Our use of holly for indoor decoration and for landscape purposes is the result of traditions from many cultures spanning many centuries. Holly was a symbol of foresight to the ancient Greeks.

The ancient Romans sent boughs of holly to friends symbolizing goodwill during their Saturnalia celebration which took place in December. The ancient Chinese used holly to decorate during their New Year festivals, occurring in February.

To Christians, the spiky leaves and red berries symbolized the crown of thorns and blood of Christ. The Welsh believed that if the holly was brought in before Christmas Eve, quarrels would occur.

Some Germans and English believed the choice of male or female holly in the house would indicate the rule of the household for the next year. Some English believed that if the holly was left up after New Year's Eve, bad luck would be the consequence.

Many Indians in North and South America used holly in religious practices. They brewed a tea from holly leaves, and those who could not keep the drink down could not attempt dangerous missions.

Holly was also believed to have medicinal powers. Concoctions were made by the Europeans, Chinese, and North American Indians to cure restlessness, cough, fever, measles, smallpox, kidney disease and childbirth pains.

For landscape purposes, early Europeans believed that holly could deter evil spirits, ward off enchantments and protect the house from lightning. Today, hollies in the landscape provide color to cheer during the winter and food for wildlife.

Holly is a very popular shrub and ornamental tree. It belongs to the genus Ilex, in which there are many species offering a vast palette of plants with a variety of shapes and sizes. Holly shrubs can be found ranging in heights from 1 to 20 feet. Full-grown holly trees range from 20 to 60 feet in height. They can be evergreen or deciduous (drops leaves in winter). Leaves may be smooth or spiny. There are male and female hollies, but fruit is found only on female hollies after pollination. Fruit colors are red, yellow, black or white depending on the species and variety.

With the great diversity of size, shape, texture, adaptability and other ornamental characteristics, it is rare that any landscape design is complete without at least one holly being specified. They are the backbone of most landscape designs in areas where they flourish. Part of this information came from: page 47, of the August 1, 1988 issue of American Nurseryman, in an article entitled "Holly Legend and Lore"; Barbara W. Ellis wrote "Holly Days" on pages 28-35, in the December 1988 issue of Organic Gardening; additional information was found in an old USDA, Home and Garden Bulletin, No. 130, entitled "Growing Hollies".

Decorating with Holly

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