European Holly Ilex aquifolium

This is the classic “Christmas” holly, native to NW Africa, SW Asia and some parts of Europe, and it is one of the few indigenous evergreens in... more

by Zephyr Polk

Title

European Holly Ilex aquifolium

Artist

Zephyr Polk

Medium

Painting - Watercolor Painting

Description

This is the classic “Christmas” holly, native to NW Africa, SW Asia and some parts of Europe, and it is one of the few indigenous evergreens in Britain. It is a hardy and adaptable species capable of surviving in many different conditions, and thrives on the margins of human activity. The trees are dioecious, which means each holly tree is either entirely male or female. Under the right conditions, it can live up to 500 years and may grow up to 10m in height. Before its well-known use in Christmas traditions, it was associated with the Roman Saturnalia festival, which takes place around the same time as modern Christmas and also involves feasting and gift-giving.

Uploaded

December 3rd, 2018