One of the first songs I learned in elementary school was the traditional Christmas carol “The Holly and the Ivy” which we sang for our parents at a holiday concert. Holly and Ivy being used as part of holiday celebrations dates back before Christianity took hold in Europe as pagans made garland out of them to celebrate harvests and to ward off evil spirits. During Roman times wreaths were made to celebrate victories as well as to mark the winter and summer solstice. Holly and Ivy plants eventually became popular evergreens used as wreaths and garland during the Christmas season before trees became popular in the 19th century. These two plants have been linked together for centuries and they also are both very easy to grow.
There are hundreds of varieties of holly throughout North America which are generally broken down into three groups; Japanese Holly, American Holly and English Holly. Each group has its own unique characteristics. Japanese Holly tends to have smaller leaves and can grow up to six feet tall in a very short time period. The American Holly is known as American Winterberry and has very dark green leaves with red to orange fruit and it is taller than its Japanese counterpart. English Holly is the traditional holly that we associate with the Christmas holiday and it can grow up to 50 feet tall. English holly does better in warmer climates and appreciates an environment that will shelter it from the wind such as a walled garden or patio.
Holly does best in direct sunlight and prefers an acidic soil. Adding peat moss to the soil when you plant it is a good way to create the proper soil conditions. Once planted and established holly is pretty self- sufficient and doesn’t need much additional care. One of the unique features of holly trees are their berries which typically ripen on female trees in the winter. It is important to plant a male and female holly tree in close proximity to one another so the female tree can be properly pollinated. Patience may also be needed as some varieties can take up to 6 years to actually produce fruit.
Like its holly counterpart Ivy is a very easy plant to grow and in some cases it can be considered invasive. While the size and color of an ivy leaf can vary from one variety to another the shape of the leaf is generally the same regardless of what variety of ivy you are cultivating. Ivy plants do best in indirect sunlight which makes them a good candidate for shady areas such as underneath a holly tree! Another similarity between the two plants is that they are both easy to prune as long as you are diligent in keeping up with the rapid growth that occurs during the growing season.
Holly and Ivy are best grown in USDA zones 4 through 9 but a quick search on the Internet shows that varieties are available that may grow virtually anywhere in the continental United States. They have the added benefit of being evergreens which means they maintain their color all year round and they can both be great problem solvers in a garden that has tough conditions such as a slope, a heavily shaded area or a need for a privacy hedge. Many gardeners start their planning for next year right now and maybe you should plan on adding some holly and ivy to your garden.
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