American Holly
Cedar Waxwing
by Gayle Fisher
ow is the time to recognize our
native holly, Aquifoliaceae. The
N
female sets berries in the fall, and birds will
enjoy this feast through the coming winter
months. The height of American holly,
or Christmas holly, ranges from 25 ft. to
as tall as 60 ft. The stout, stiff branches of
this pyramidal evergreen bear dark green,
non-glossy, spine-tipped leaves. Be careful:
these hollies can scratch. New growth finally
pushes off the old leaves in spring. Bright
red berries occur on the female plant only.
A shorter, multi-trunked form may grow in
lower-light situations. The bark is a light
gray color.
The evergreen fruiting branches from wild
and planted trees are popular for Christmas
decorations. Many improved varieties are
grown for ornament, shade and hedges. You
must have both a male and female plant to
have berries, or at least have the opposite
sex growing wild somewhere nearby. The
male must be the same holly species as the
female and bloom at the same time. This
is a very slow-growing tree. The whitish,
fine-textured wood is especially suited for
inlays in cabinetwork, handles, carvings and
rulers, and can be dyed various shades...even
black! It has been used for piano keys. Many
kinds of songbirds, gamebirds and mammals
eat the bitter berries of this and other hollies,
but the fruits are poisonous to humans.
The American holly’s growth habit is densely
pyramidal with branches to the ground when
young. With age, the plant is more open and
irregular. I have one that is over 45 years old,
and it is around 25 feet tall. It was already
on the farm when we moved here. I cannot
believe how slow it has grown, and it is in full
sun. No wonder the wood is so dense!
24 FARRAGUT LIFE HOLIDAY/WINTER 2020