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shrub

Holly

Ilex aquifolium

Native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Sun or shade

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 36°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -25°C

Waterlogging tolerance

3/5

Drought tolerance

3/5

Mature size

3–8 m tall, 3 m spread

Seasonal interest

Winter berry · Dark green

Maintenance

low

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 5/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Invasive on the US west coast and in parts of Australia; berries toxic.

Toxicity: mild

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name
Ilex aquifolium L.
Family
Aquifoliaceae (Aquifoliales)
Rank and status
species · accepted
GBIF record
Taxon 5414222

Recorded native range: Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Flanders, Flemish Region, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Portugal Continental, Walloon Region

Recorded as introduced in: Arkansas, Belarus, Bogotá, D.C., British Columbia, California, Cyprus, Hawaii, Hungary, Lebanon-Syria, New Jersey, New South Wales, New Zealand North and 11 further regions

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Ilex aquifolium, the holly, common holly, English holly, European holly, or occasionally Christmas holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aquifoliaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia. It is regarded as the type species of the genus Ilex, which by association is also called holly. It is an evergreen tree or shrub found, for example, in shady areas of forests of oak and in beech hedges. In the British Isles it is one of very few native hardwood evergreen trees. It has a great capacity to adapt to different conditions and is a pioneer species that repopulates the margins of forests or clearcuts. European holly can exceed 15 m in height, but is often found at much smaller heights, typically 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) tall and broad, with a straight trunk and pyramidal crown, branching from the base. It grows slowly and does not usually full

Description from Wikipedia — Ilex aquifolium (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

  • United Kingdom: native
  • United States: restricted
  • Australia: restricted

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.