# Holly (*Sanagia*) Holly is a special plant with bright red berries and shiny green leaves. It looks especially beautiful during the winter! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Woodlands and gardens - **Also known as:** American holly, English Holly, European holly, Holly Tree ![Holly](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424296/objects/5035.jpg) ## Appearance The Holly has shiny, leathery dark green leaves, often with sharp, spiky edges. In winter, it displays bright red, round berries that stand out vividly against the green foliage, making it easily recognizable even in the snow. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Aquifoliales - **Family:** Aquifoliaceae - **Genus:** Ilex ## Interesting facts - Ancient cultures believed holly could ward off evil spirits and lightning strikes! - Holly wood is very dense and fine-grained, sometimes used for chess pieces or piano keys. - Male and female holly flowers grow on separate plants, so only female plants get berries. - Some older holly trees can live for an amazing 300 years or even longer! ## Special abilities - **Spiky Shield:** Holly has sharp, spiky leaves that protect it from hungry animals wanting to nibble on its foliage. - **Winter Feast:** Its bright red berries ripen in autumn and provide a crucial food source for birds during the cold winter months. - **Evergreen Energy:** Holly keeps its leaves all year, allowing it to photosynthesize and make food even when other trees are bare. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 200-1000 cm - **Spread:** 100-500 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Early Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — Eats its berries for winter food. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its small flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eats:** Holly Leaf Miner (*Phytomyza ilicis*) — Larvae tunnel within its leaves. ## Traits - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Winter Interest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/winter-interest): Winter Interest refers to plants that provide aesthetic appeal through their foliage, bark, berries, or structure during the winter season. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Grasses](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses) - [Grasses, Shrubs & Bushes](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses-shrubs-and-bushes) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Explore with care and ask an adult if you’re unsure what to do. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Holly? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Holly? 200-1000 cm ### How wide does Holly spread? 100-500 cm ### How big are the flowers on Holly? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Holly bloom? Late Spring to Early Summer ### Is Holly edible? No ### Is Holly toxic? Moderate ### What is Holly's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Matese National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/matese-national-park) — IT · Park - [Nebrodi Regional Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nebrodi-regional-nature-park) — IT · Park - [Acebal de Garagüeta Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/acebal-de-garagueta-nature-reserve) — Castilla y León, ES · Park - [Schlosspark Krumke (Osterburg)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schlosspark-krumke-osterburg) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Park - [Madonie Regional Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/madonie-regional-nature-park) — IT · Park [View all places to see Holly](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/holly) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Holly: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/holly)