News release issued February 12. 2001, effective immediately.
For media inquiries, contact Caroline Booth Lara, Communications Specialist, (580) 224-6379.
  email: cblara@noble.org

Evergreen Plant Choices Other than Eastern Red Cedars

We see them all year, but are especially aware of them around Christmas when their decorative foliage and berries brighten the season. But the traditional Christmas wreath is only one of many ways hollies have been used throughout recorded history.

"There are lots of different ways holly has been used, but I'm going to tell you only a few," said Dooly Barlow, a horticulturist with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation based in Ardmore, Oklahoma. "You probably know holly for the great wreaths it makes. The Romans sent holly as gifts, and it was a sign of victory and celebration. All through the ages holly has been hung outside of houses to ward off evil spirits."

The hollies are a diverse group of plants that fit in many landscapes, in hot and dry locations, which doesn't mean that some of these plants don't need to be watered. The holly has bright red berries and glossy green leaves that range from small to large. The leaves of some varieties are spiny, while others are smooth.

The ancient Celts, people of the British Isles, attributed great power to the holly. The Druids thought that as long as the holly was green, the world would be beautiful. The holly was also very sacred to the god Saturn. Several centuries after Christ's birth, holly began to be placed outside of homes so people could celebrate Christmas without others noticing. In 1575, Bishop Martin of Brancae in Germany forbade the use of evergreens, hollies included, because they were associated with heathen customs. It would be several hundred years before they were seen in churches again.

Holly has been made into badges and worn by warriors as a sign of courage, eaten to cleanse the soul, made into tea to impart extraordinary strength, and put under pillows to tell the future. Tonics made from holly were said to cure a cough. To the Native Americans, it was a sign of a long, fruitful life.

"The wood from the holly has been used to make furniture and other durable products. George Washington's false teeth were made from holly," Barlow explained.

There are over two hundred different types of holly, but only two dozen are easily found in the Southwest. Over three million dollars' worth of holly cuttings are sold each year. Some of the different types of ornamental hollies include 'Berries Jubilee', 'Burford', 'Carissa', 'Dwarf Burford', possumhaw, 'Foster', blue holly, 'Nellie R. Stevens', and dwarf yaupon. The height ranges from 2 to 3 feet with dwarf yaupon to 40 feet plus with the American holly.

Most hollies are evergreens. One exception is the possumhaw (Ilex decidua), the native plant in wooded areas around here, that has those beautiful exposed red berries this time of year (see photo). It is deciduous, which means it loses its leaves in the fall.

"Let's not forget those spines that arm some holly species," Barlow said. "Not to be alarmed: some species have only one spine, and some don't have any, which shouldn't be a disadvantage when you select hollies. In European households, spiny holly in the house means the husband rules for the next year, while smooth holly means the wife rules for the next year."

Hollies do very well in the Southwest. Some are fairly inexpensive for the amount of winter color from the red berries.

"Unlike most plants, hollies are either male or female, so don't forget to select female plants if you want the red fruit in the winter," Barlow added. "The fruit makes excellent wildlife food. If the fruit presents a cleanliness problem, place the plants away from patios or cars and near the rear of the property."

Hollies have been used for many centuries and will be used for many more. For more information on their use in the landscape, consult a certified Arborist, Master Gardener, landscape specialist or horticulturist.

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, check out the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

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