The shop windows and streets are decorated with lights, garlands and tinsel. You're right: Christmas is just around the corner. A time so longed for by some and detested by others, full of gifts and social gatherings, and which has its own hallmarks in the form of decorations. That is why, if you want to be the best host these holidays, you should start working on the Christmas decoration of your home now, in which, in addition to the pine or fir, another plant stands as the absolute protagonist: the holly. Next, we will tell you where and how you can get this shrub that will delight your centerpieces.
Holly (Ilex aquifolium) is an evergreen shrub, pyramidal in shape and up to 20 meters high that usually grows in cold, humid and shady regions around the planet. In Spain, it is located in pastures located 1,300 meters above sea level in the provinces of Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa, Álava, Navarra, Segovia and Soria. In fact, in the latter is the Acebal de Garagüeta, the largest holly forest in southern Europe with an area of 180 hectares.
However, holly has been a protected species for years due to its slow reproduction linked to specific climatic conditions and soil types. For this reason, the environmental departments of the autonomous communities limit the maximum number of kilos of holly that can be pruned for exploitation by the logging industry and subject these companies to strict traceability controls.
Regarding its precious branches, they must have a measure of one and a half meters and cannot be cut below two meters or below the crowns. The objective is none other than to ensure that pruning is beneficial for the tree and prevent it from drying out. From the holly forests, the 'lucky twigs' with pointed leaves will end up in nurseries or large DIY stores where you can get this precious ornamental element.
Holly is a dioecious species, that is, there are male plants and female plants. It is the latter that bear fruit, the characteristic pretty red balls... They are toxic, which is why they should remain out of the reach of children. These form throughout the spring and summer, but it is in the fall when they acquire their intense color that they maintain throughout the winter. This also allows us to differentiate it from mistletoe, whose fruit is white or yellow.
If you have the privilege of having a garden area in your home, you have the option of growing your own holly and pruning it when Christmas approaches. This shrub prefers cold climates and shady areas, so you can plant it under one of the trees you already have in your garden. Additionally, holly should be watered at least once a week and grown in soil rich in organic matter. To do this, simply mash the soil, never the branches, leaves or berries directly. Of course, this plant does not tolerate waterlogging and you should wait until the soil is dry before watering it again.
