The Holly

Holly trees are dioecious, meaning each tree is either male or female. Only female trees produce the famous red berries in winter. These are often eaten by birds and mammals when other food gets scarce. It is very important to wildlife in other ways, the leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of the beautiful holly blue butterfly and also by various moth species. Hollies are evergreen, meaning they do not shed their leaves in winter. Their thick foliage provides cover for sheltering birds and the leaf litter at the bottom of the tree is a commonly used spot for hibernating mammals like hedgehogs.

They have a long association with the festive period as they were thought to ward off evil, with the branches and berries used to decorate doorways.

The Ivy

Ivy has a bit of a bad rap, known for damaging buildings and pulling down trees. In fact, it does neither. Ivy is not a parasitic plant, and in fact helps supports more wildlife than a tree alone would, partly due to its berries and late-flowering source of nectar for pollinators. Ivy can also help protect the structure of stonework, keeping walls dry and in some cases, insulated. Removing it is what damages the mortar on the building so other than keeping it trimmed and away from gutters and fixtures, it is a great plant to leave growing around your home. In addition to providing food and shelter for wildlife it can help absorb pollutants.

If you plan on making a wintery wreath out of holly and ivy make sure to only take as much as you need, spreading out the foraging you take between different shrubs and trees.

Christmas Mistletoe

One plant that is certainly in less demand this year is mistletoe. Mistletoe is semi-parasitic - its roots attach to trees and take their water and nutrients from there. Unless a tree has a very large amount of mistletoe, it is unlikely to be affected, and sadly mistletoe has been declining in the UK. The round white berries are food for species of thrush, which help spread the plant through their droppings, and there are invertebrate species that feed on the leaves. Because of mistletoe’s declining status it is best left on the tree this Christmas.