Often easy to spot in the countryside as one of the few evergreen large broadleaved trees , and particularly common in formal planting schemes in country estates. Introduced to Britain and Ireland in the late sixteenth century; a neophyte.

Native to southern Europe, including France, Portugal, Spain and Italy, and the Balkans. Less frequent in Scotland and away from coast.

Monoecious. Wind-pollinated. Animal-dispersed.

An evergreen broadleaf to 30m, broad-crowned with ascending branches. Bark dark with small square plates. Twigs densely downy for the first year or two. Leaves glossy, 4-12cm, oblong-lanceolate, wavy-margined, the young ones spiny-lobed like Holly (hence the epithet) but less so on older branches, dark green above with pale felty undersides. Male catkins golden-yellow in spring. Fruit a dumpy acorn (20mm), half-enclosed by a felted cupule on a downy peduncle.

Tolerant of pollution and salt-laden winds, even sea spray. Can be clipped into hedges and topiary, but left alone grows a large spreading canopy. Severely cold winters can lead to leaf drop.

Its evergreen canopy provides shelter to wildlife all year round, while its catkins provide a source of nectar for insects in spring, and birds and mammals consume its acorns.

Generally healthy. May thrive in warmer, drier summers projected under a changing climate for some areas of north-west Europe.

Ornamental, either as a specimen tree or for impressive avenues. Timber is low value.