Holly is another Christmas plant very frequent at 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 possible to start seeing it in shop windows and tables so don't forget to have your holly at home to celebrate the holidays.
How to recognize it
With acsmooth orthosis and petioled leaves and serrated edges, holly is a shrub that belongs to the family of the Aquifoliaceae. It is the most classic alternative to mistletoe and bears great resemblance to it.
His life can be very long reaching five hundred years but the average age is 100 years. The green leaves contrast with the fruits which are drupes that at first are green in color and then acquire a bright and very characteristic red tone. The fruit remains on the bush much of the time 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 than are those that are generally on sale in December.
How to grow it
Now, if you want to have your own holly at home you must have a place outside in semi shade It is a plant that needs the sun, although not full. It is multiplied by cuttings being the best time to do it from late summer to early winter. If it is grown from seed, spring will be the optimal time to do so.
This shrub tolerates cold well and although it adapts to different types of soil, the best is one that is acidic and well drained.
Ideally fertilize the soil with a fertilizer rich in nitrogen to achieve better results by adding a padding in winter. With these cares, you will have a better chance of success.
It is a shrub that needs a humid habitat so frequent watering is recommended, especially during the summer. In winter the intensity will have to be lowered.
Among the pests that attack it the most are aphids and leaf miners.
