Holly is another very common Christmas plant on the tables that celebrate the arrival of the Child Jesus. Its small red fruits make it the perfect plant for this time of year, beautiful and very decorative.
These days, it is already possible to start seeing it in shop windows and on tables, so do not forget to have your holly at home to celebrate the holidays.
How to recognize it
With a smooth cortex and petiolate leaves and serrated edges , the holly is a shrub that belongs to the Aquifoliaceae family . It is the most classic alternative to mistletoe and has a great resemblance to it.
Their life can be very long reaching five hundred years but the average age is 100 years. The green leaves contrast with the fruits that are drupes that are green at first and then acquire a very characteristic bright red tone. The fruit remains on the bush much of the time well into winter.
Resistant and beautiful, the holly can reach up to 20 meters in height, although the most common is to find much smaller specimens, which are those that are usually on sale in December.
how to grow it
Now, if you want to have your own holly at home, you must have a semi-shaded place outside, as it is a plant that needs sun, although not full. It is multiplied by cuttings being the best time to do it from late summer to early winter. If grown from seed, spring will be the optimal time to do so.
This shrub tolerates the cold well and although it adapts to different types of soil , the best is one that is acidic and well drained.
The ideal is to fertilize the land with a fertilizer rich in nitrogen to achieve better results, also adding a mulch in winter. With these cares, you will have more chances of success.
It is a shrub that needs a humid habitat, so frequent watering is recommended, especially during the summer. In winter you will have to lower the intensity.
Among the pests that most attack it are aphids and miners.
