One of few evergreen native trees, Holly provides structural diversity to ancient and semi-natural woodlands. It has deep cultural connections, especially at Christmas time, and its foliage was once thought to ward off evil spirits.

Native to all north-western Europe, including Britain and Ireland where it is very widespread, except central Scottish Highlands. Listed as extinct in Sweden. Considered invasive where introduced, such as the forests of the Pacific North-west America.

Dioecious. Insect-pollinated. The fruit is a drupe with four seeds in a stony pyrene, eaten and dispersed by birds and small mammals. It reproduces clonally too, with drooping lower branches layering where they touch ground and root suckers appearing up to 10m from the parent.

Small to medium, usually 15m but reaching 20m or more drawn up in suitable woodland. Crown pyramidal with criss-crossing branches, the lower ones often drooping and layering, older trees often suckering. Foliage evergreen, dense dark green. Bark pale grey with wart-like lenticels. Twigs minutely dark-downy, green turning brown. Leaves thick, waxy and leathery, glossy above, matt below; young and low-branch leaves are sharply spined (15mm), upper leaves often smooth-margined. Flowers small, cream-white, fragrant (May-June); scarlet-crimson berries form on female trees, fruiting reduced if unseasonable spring weather harms pollinating insects.

Hardy to -20°C, disliking frost hollows and waterlogging. Highly shade-tolerant, though shade limits flowering, and very palatable to deer, whose browsing limits growth and regeneration. Notoriously difficult to transplant, best supplied pot-grown. It can be coppiced, pollarded, laid in hedges or layered. Hundreds of cultivars exist, usually propagated by cuttings to fix features and female sex, mostly selected for leaf colour, such as 'Handsworth New Silver', 'Argentea Marginata' and 'Madame Briot'.

Food plant for the Holly Blue butterfly (Celastrina argiolus), its larvae feeding on young leaves and flower buds. Berries require repeated frosts to soften and sweeten the fruit before becoming attractive to birds and mammals.

Drought-resistant but fire-prone. Deer are the most significant threat. Honey fungus can affect old trees.

Ornamental (choose female trees) for colour, form and screening; the berries are toxic to pets and humans, causing gastrointestinal upset. Its pale, strong, impact-resistant timber finishes very smoothly, making fine veneer traditionally used for 'stringing' in decorative cabinet inlay, and is sought after by turners.