English Holly
(Ilex aquifolium)
The word aquifolium is made up of two parts: “acus” meaning needle and “folium” meaning leaf. It is also known as “Christmas holly,” is a symbol of the joy of wintertime around the world. In Celtic times (~1200 BC) holly plants represented good fortune and beauty. The Celtic habit of decking the halls with “boughs of holly” transformed into the modern traditions of hanging red and green decorations during the holiday season.
English Holly is not Native, so why are we featuring it on our Plants of the Pacific Northwest Trail?
It has a lot to teach us!
The first English holly planting on record in Washington state took place in 1891 just two years after Washington became a state.
Since then it has been recognized as a potentially NOXIOUS (or bad) plant and has a negative impact on natural ecosystems.
Some reasons and ways it causes problems:
-its berries, loved by birds, are dropped/pooped everywhere and it can grow anywhere
-its thick growth allow holly to outcompete native plants and tree seedlings for space and resources.
-it can form impassable thickets with spiky leaves make it impassable to Wildlife (and humans)
-once established, it is nearly impossible to eradicate mature plants without herbicide (bad for everything and everyone).
We included it here so you can take action locally and also learn about your non-Native, noxious plants!
Think twice before planting English holly in your landscaping, and control what holly you have on your property if it threatens to spread into natural areas.
Educate yourself about the noxious plants in our landscape and how to manage them.
