This blog post has taken four months to be written! Different elements have slowly fallen into place and at last, it is ready!
I knew I had to write about Holly last December. He was already in my mind as I was writing my previous post on Quince. But it has taken this long to fully appreciate why Holly was to be the subject for today!
To be honest, until December, I had only had a few encounters with wild Holly as he is relatively rare in our mountains that are cloaked largely in conifers. So, over these past months, I have gone through a gradual process of discovery and reflection about this wonderfully benevolent and slow growing tree who reveals his messages progressively to those who choose to take the time to listen and learn.
But first let me share a fun story of how we met. Four autumns ago, I was with my hound Tessa deep in the woods rummaging in leaf litter ‘hunting’ for wild mushrooms – a favorite pastime for us both. Each mushroom species has its own biotope – chanterelles like deep, humid forest with a rich blanket of moss; morels prefer higher altitudes in the presence of silver firs; milk caps can be found in the grassy clearings of Scots pine and juniper.
On the day in question, I was in a deciduous forest – less common in my area. I had come hoping to find ceps that are more abundant in mixed woodland in the company of oak and beech. My focus was on finding enough ceps to make a delicious dinner.
I easily lose track of time in the forest and it is rare for me to bump into another soul. I have rarely felt alone or unsafe. And yet, whilst on my hands and knees, I could have sworn I heard someone quietly say ‘bonjour’ – a man’s voice. I stopped, held my breath, and listened intently, feeling slightly uneasy that perhaps someone was watching us. All I heard were trees creaking and the odd crackle deep in the forest and Tessa panting beside me.
Once I was sure it was indeed my imagination getting the better of me, I gave a sigh of relief, sat upright and looked up – straight into the most elegant wild Holly tree I have ever seen. I was sat right at his feet and had not noticed, being too caught up in my mushroom-hunting moment. How could I not have sensed that I was in the presence of a being so majestic? Was it Holly who had greeted me with a quiet ‘bonjour’?
Meeting Holly is like communing with an old, wise and dependable friend who speaks little but always comforts with his quiet presence. There is a humanness about Holly – his thin grey bark feels like touching a smooth, finely aged leathery skin – an experience altogether different from other trees I have written about thus far. Since our first encounter, I have since returned to the same forest and discovered other Holly trees in the vicinity, all only visible when you take the time to observe.
One thing you might not know about Holly is the form of the tree itself in the wild – when left to grow in his own way, he is usually pyramidal, dense, straight and elegant. The form is striking but often he goes unnoticed as Holly is usually located deep within the shadows of the forest. One rarely has the distance from other trees to truly see his splendour. I think this is part of Holly’s identity: a handsome, quiet force of nature that has nothing to prove, nor seeking attention or admiration.
Unique, independent and true to himself, Ilex aquifolium and the genus Ilex has his own family: Aquifoliaceae, representing approximately 600 species worldwide, including of course the popular Ilex paraguariensis, or Yerba Mate. Holly is dioecious and is one of the only evergreen non-coniferous trees in Europe. Holly can grow in most soils and his seeds are spread by the birds that he feeds with his berries. Holly saplings are also able to grow directly out of the roots of larger trees be they male or female. Holly is self-reliant and non-demanding.
When Holly really makes his presence known is in deep winter. When the deciduous trees have lost their leaves, and all is cold and bare. When there are less havens for the birds, when the days are short, the sunlight weak and the forest floor cold and deep in brown and yellowing leaves. That is when you notice Holly. Quietly standing there in his evergreen beauty, offering a safe winter haven to all who need.
Now that we are in mid-April, the first fresh green flushes of leaves are appearing on the beech and the oak and the forest floor is brimming with a riot of yellow and blues of primroses, cowslips, hepaticas and violets. Progressively, through Spring into Summer, Holly will once again retreat from the visual landscape, simply providing a dark green backdrop from the shadows. He will be present but unnoticed, yielding his place to other brighter and more showy pops of colour and the generally busy-ness of the deciduous forest in summertime.
One might be forgiven for thinking that with his dark spiny leaves, Holly might be a gloomy, brooding and fierce forest being. After all, he has been associated with protection throughout the ages. Do you imagine him to be defensive and bristling, ready to cause a prick of pain to all who approach?
In fact, at least to my perception, Holly is filled with a rare and remarkable light that is suffused with kindness. Photos of his shiny leaves clearly demonstrate his remarkable capacity to reflect the light. Also, putting aside the fact that Harry Potter’s wand was said to be made with holly wood, did you know that his wood is one of the palest? His white wood is dense, heavy and with a very fine grain. When polished, it takes on a sheen resembling marble. Commonly used for making walking sticks and cudgels, Holly is also used in fine inlay work in marquetry and for delicate musical instrument parts. He has a value that is only recognized by those who appreciate or actively seek what he has to offer.
And concerning his prickliness – did you know that his defensive properties can be switched on and off as needed? Holly can adapt the shape and spines of his leaves in relation to the threat he experiences. Younger trees in their entirety as well as the lower branches of mature trees bear rigid, spiny leaves as a deterrent for grazing animals like deer. On mature trees, the upper branches, high above the reach of most herbivores, tend to bear completely smooth and spineless leaves.
Holly pricks you only if you enter his space without respect, thereby keeping you at a safe distance. If you continue to ignore his message, then the leaves themselves contain defensive compounds including saponins that cause digestive irritation when eaten.
Holly’s intrinsic capacity for adaptation has been known since 2012 thanks to the work of Carlos Herrera and the team at the National Research Council of Spain. Known as heterophylly, this ability to rapidly change the spininess of leaves in response to herbivore pressures, ‘at will’ without genetic change is a great example of plant intelligence.
Holly also shows gentleness and generosity. Together with Holly’s dense habit, the leaves form a protective shelter for small animals and birds, especially when times are hard and shelter is rare. Being dioecious, only female Holly trees bear berries – these are an important winter food source for birds such as thrushes and black birds. Then in May, Holly will begin to bloom, with inconspicuous clusters of white four petaled blooms – highly scented with a sweet floral and honey-like stickiness like honeysuckle and attractive to bees. Hardly the fragrant expression of a fierce, brooding and defensive soul!
One would think that surely the time to write about Holly is in Winter, with his symbolism and image linked to Christmas, wreaths, cards, red berries, robins, ivy and the winter solstice. One of the sacred trees in Druidism, Holly has been revered and celebrated across the ages from Pagans to Christians, holding an important place in traditions and rituals associated with the darkest time of the year.
Yet, with the approach of Easter, I believe that his message is also for today – with his spiky leaves considered by many to be a symbol of the crown of thorns.
- Holly calls us to be adaptable, kind, generous and ready to offer presence and nurture to those in need.
- Holly shows us the importance of self-preservation as well as holding safe space for others.
- Holly encourages us to quietly remain true to one’s nature whether or not we are noticed.
- Holly asks us to always project and reflect light rather than be overcome or infused by darkness.
- Holly calls us to recognise when we need to step back into the quiet shadows.
And lastly, with his sweetly scented flowers that will soon be discreetly diffusing through the forest, Holly offers a soft and sweet balm for the heart in troubled times.
