Holly - Ilex aquifolium

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Description

Shrub or small tree to 10 metres. Leaves ovate with undulate spiny margins shiny dark green. Flowers white 6 to 7 mm in small lateral clusters, the male and female on separate plants. Berry bright red when ripe.

Identification difficulty

Habitat

Woodland, scrub and hedgerows.

When to see it

April to June.

Life History

Evergreen.

UK Status

Fairly common throughout Britain except the extreme north.

VC55 Status

Quite common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 366 of the 617 tetrads.

stepgray4
Charnwood Lodge
22 November 2020
Berries and leaves.
Kaye Axon
Glen Parva, Hopyard Close
15 February 2024
leaves in shade are less spiny
Mike Higgott
County Hall
08 May 2017
Saharima Roenisch
Abbey Park
16 February 2017
variegated form
Graham Calow
Wistow
16 May 2006
Peter Smith
near Beacon Hill
17 September 2011
Graham Calow
Nailstone Colliery site
24 May 2016
AJ Cann
Tugby
05 May 2018
stepgray4
Charnwood Lodge
22 November 2020
Glossy leaf with spiky edges.
Barbara Cooper
Long Clawson
29 May 2021
Barbara Cooper
Long Clawson
16 May 2012
Saharima Roenisch
Leicester, Belgrave, St. Peters Churchyard
15 March 2019
Ray Pearce
Shepshed Cemetery
05 February 2018
Saharima Roenisch
Evington Park
13 February 2017

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

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MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names: Holly
Species group:: Trees, Shrubs & Climbers
Kingdom:: Plantae
Order:: Aquifoliales
Family:: Aquifoliaceae
Records on NatureSpot:: 603
First record:: 11/05/1992 (John Mousley;Steve Grover)
Last record:: 10/03/2026 (Higgott, Mike)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

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Latest images

Latest records

Melinda Bell
Breedon, Breedon Hill
07 February 2020
Graham Calow
Sapcote
16 May 2006
Flower and Leaves
Peter Smith
Dean's Lane, nr Beacon Hill
17 September 2011
Melinda Bell
Burbage Woods
04 September 2021
not as dark green as Englishholly
Melinda Bell
Burbage Woods
04 September 2021
all spines point outwards, margin flat
egaten
Normanton Turville
11 September 2015
Saharima Roenisch
Beacon Hill Country Park
25 March 2017
John Cranfield
Fleckney
17 November 2011
David Nicholls
Change Spinney, Ratby
17 November 2011
stepgray4
Charnwood Lodge
22 November 2020
Leaves and berries.
stepgray4
Charnwood Lodge
25 October 2020
stepgray4
Ulverscroft NR
29 November 2020
Frank Bedford
Ashby de la Zouch, Measham Road
07 January 2021
Holly
John Cranfield
Fleckney
17 November 2011
steven lewis
Welby
29 February 2016
Groby John
Mountsorrel Heritage Centre
23 May 2024

Aphis ilicis

The Holly Aphid (Aphis ilicis) lives in dense colonies on young shoots and undersides of young leaves of Holly. Attacked leaves curl towards their undersides. Later in the year, when the leaves have matured, aphids can be found colonizing the berry petioles. It is rare to find any species other than Aphis ilicis on Holly. Aphis ilicis apterae are dark olive-brown, reddish-brown or greyish-brown.

Holly Leaf Miner

The larvae of the Agromyzid fly Phytomyza ilicis mine the leaves of Holly producing a characteristic but irregular upper surface linear-blotch mine.

Holly Parachute

This tiny fungus appears on the dead leaves of Holly. To 15 mm with a thin, wiry red stem and a very small off-white cap (2-6mm). Both cap and stems are covered in projecting hairs.

Microthyrium ciliatum

The fruit bodies of the fungus Microthyrium ciliatum are dark brown to blackish, circular, one cell thick, with central ostioles for spore release. Under the microscope they appear as a series of radiating cells, evenly coloured. They rest on the surface of their host with hyphae holding them in place.