* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia
The beauty of the colors of the holly fruit, the boix grèvol, shines in the Busa mountain range. It is a shrub that is protected and cannot be picked, although we can admire it as in these photographs in La Vanguardia Readers' Photos.
Holly or Ilex aquifolium is native to southern and western Europe. This shrub enjoys a long life, up to a century. It is a protected species due to its great ecological value.
Holly is associated with Christmas, as ornamentation. With the spread of Christianity, the red berries of the holly became linked to the representation of the blood of Christ, while the pointed leaves became identified with the crown of thorns.
This shrub has also had other uses. Traditional natural medicine has used holly since ancient times. The holly was already known to Aristotle. He called him "paliuro" in his texts.
Its properties derive from the presence in its leaves of illicin (ilixanthin), caffetanic acid, dextrose, gum, wax and other substances in smaller quantities.
The Busa mountain range is located in the Pre-Pyrenees, in the Lord valley (Solsonès). Its walls are very steep and have spectacular shapes that are reminiscent of the Montserrat mountains.
The sierra de Busa, south of the sierra de los Bastets, seems inaccessible due to its rough Montserrat-shaped walls. The highest point is the summit of Cogul (1526 meters), in the Serrat de les Graelles.
