13/01/2026
✨The festive season is now over for another year but Holly (Ilex aquifolium) hasn’t twigged on yet!🌿
✨Holly is still very much present in the local woods of the North and is such a splendid plant to behold! Strong, self protective and enduring with spiky leaves, and woody stem, Holly is a perennial whose life span can reach centuries and who can easily survive hard winters.
✝️The common name Holly comes from the word Holy as this striking plant was thought to have sprung up under Christ’s feet as he went to execution~ the thorny leaves representing his suffering and the red berries, his blood. Other common names are Holy Tree and Christ’s Thorn.
😓In historical medicinal use, Holly leaves have been used as a diaphoretic (promoting sweating) febrifuge (reducing fever) and general tonic. Their medicinal actions are said to be from the alkaloid Ilicin.
😷The berries on the other hand are considered toxic to humans though blackbird do enjoy them! When consumed by people they cause severe vomiting
🦵🩹The bark and leaves were also used in a fermentation for the treatment of broken bones according to Culpeper, the 15th century herbalist pioneer!
✨Holly is not used in modern herbal dispensaries ~ in the U.K. hawthorn is one of the main native trees which are still used in practice! Best to leave Holly for your Holly boughs at Christmas time!🎄✨
