Decorate your garden with branches of holly, this plant is full of symbolism and evergreen beauty

No doubt you’ve seen your share of holly this month — in wreaths and branches or perhaps on holiday cards and catalog covers. But are they growing in your garden?

Hundreds of holly species and hybrids are found here ChinaJapan, South America, Europe And North Africaand more than a dozen native to the continental U.S.

Lore believes that ancient pagans crafted branches of evergreen into wearable crowns and believed that displaying it indoors would ward off evil spirits and hasten the return of spring. Later, Hollies were adapted by early ChristiansTheir evergreen nature is a symbol of eternal life.

Although the plants may make no promises, their red berries and dark green leaves, which reflect the season’s traditional colors, are beautiful year-round garden highlights. And their berries provide an important winter food source for birds and wildlife, although most are considered toxic to humans.

The best time to plant holly is in early spring, after the last hard frost (if applicable) but before the heat of summer begins. Be sure to water the plant regularly during its first year in your garden, when its roots are getting established.

With very few exceptions, hollies are dioecious, meaning that the plants are either male or female, and for the female to produce berries, there must be a male growing nearby. A male can effectively pollinate about 10 female plants growing within a 50 feet (15 m) radius, sometimes more.

Plant tags don’t always note whether a diploid plant is male or female, but the name of the variety can help. “China Girl” is female, and to get the fruit, you will need a “China Boy”. However, this is not always clear; For example, “Greenleaf” is also female. If you are unsure, ask the nursery staff.

Here are four favorites to consider (and one you might want to avoid):

Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria)

This long-lived species is found naturally along the southern Atlantic coast of the United States and in the southeast and southwest. Choose dwarf, weeping or upright species for growing trees, shrubs or clipped hedges. Hardy in USDA gardening zones 7-9, the undemanding native is tolerant of both sun and shade, and thrives in any type of soil and pH, as long as it is moist and well-drained.

American holly (Ilex opaca)

Native to the entire East Coast and west to Missouri and Texas, this slow-growing, pyramidal holly can reach 25–60 feet (8–18 m) tall when mature. Also known as Christmas holly, the prickly-leafed plant is hardy in zones 5-9, tolerating both sun and shade but requiring acidic, moist, well-drained sandy or loamy soil.

Blue Holly (Ilex x meserveae)

Also called meserve holly, this generally well-behaved European hybrid has blue-green spiny leaves and grows 2–8 feet (0.6 to 2.4 m) tall and 6–8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) wide, and larger in some climates. Suitable for Zones 5-7 (possibly 8), the shrub plants should be planted in full sun to partial shade in well-drained, moist, acidic soil.

Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata)

Unlike other species on this list, verticillata is a deciduous plant, not evergreen, which loses its leaves in autumn. But don’t discount its winter interest! In fact, the absence of leaves during fruiting is one of its best features, letting its abundance of red-orange berries take center stage on bare, thin branches.

Native to the eastern US and Canada, this slow-growing plant reaches a height of 3 to 8 feet (0.9 to 2.4 m). Plant it in zones 3-9, sun to shade, and in well-drained, moist, acidic soil.

English or common holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Native to Europe, West Asia and North Africa, English holly is spreading into wooded areas and destroying native vegetation from Vancouver to the Pacific Northwest and California.

Ironically, when it was introduced to America in the 1800s, its qualities made it a desirable landscape plant – it is tough as nails, long-lived, evergreen and rapidly spreading – causing it to be classified as an invasive plant in those parts of the country and a “weed of concern” in many others.

Avoid its use in problematic areas and proceed with caution in others.