holly christmas plant

Christmas Holly The prickly leaves represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified. Despite its association with the Christmas season, holly did not get its name from "holy." Another legend about this Christmas plant says that a little orphan boy was living with the shepherds when the angels came to announce the birth of the newborn king. With its shiny leaves and bright red berries, it brings cheer to the season and a refreshing touch of the outdoors to a room. A favorite of the holiday season, holly plants come in literally hundreds of species. 5. These can range in height from 6-inch-tall shrubs to towering 70-foot-tall trees. They are similar in appearance with spiny-toothed leaves and an abundance of red berries. Although holly will always be synonymous with Christmas, it has a life well beyond the festive period. A signature plant in early, formal gardens, prized by the Victorians and valued for its tolerance to pollution in industrial areas, holly is incredibly versatile. Rich Roman women also wore them as headdresses at special occasions like weddings and to show they were posh. Christmas wreath: holly. Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe have also been a part of the Winter holidays, just as long as the Christmas tree. Choose from HD Christmas Ornament PNG graphic-images resources and download in the form of PNG format. The word 'wreath' comes from the Old English word 'writhen' which means to writhe or twist. The Romans used holly to honor Saturn, their god of agriculture. Holly (Ilex spp. Ilex hybrid 'HL 10-90' PP14477. Leaves of some holly species are used by some cultures to make daily tea. The Irish native holly is important for our animals over the winter, providing an important food source with its berries. These species are Yerba mate (I. paraguariensis), Ilex guayusa, Kuding (Ilex kaushue), Yaupon (I. vomitoria) and others. Take these steps to ensure the holiday joy will last through the season: Place plant in a well-lit area. An old tradition from the Midlands of England says that whatever one was brought into the house first over winter, tells you whether the man or woman of the house would rule that year! Fir is also very commonly used for Christmas Trees. Christmas Wreaths as we know them today, might have started life as Kissing Boughs (see below) or come from the German and Eastern European custom of Advent Wreaths. Ryan McVay, Getty Images A child can eat 1-2 holly berries ( Ilex sp. ) Christmas is a fun festival for many people and is often a very meaningful celebration as well. Its red berries and green leaves have become the colors of Christmas. Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. The three other Christmas plants traditionally used are … For hundreds of years, holly has been used for winter season decorations. In pagan times, Holly was thought to be a male plant and Ivy a female plant. It is traditional to take down the decorations after Twelfth Night (5th January) on Epiphany (January 6th). They also make a wide use of variegated hybrids with no prickly leaves as they contribute to splendid decorative effects! This reminds us that we need to cling to God for support in our lives. There are over 200 cultivated varieties of our native holly and while the Latin name, Ilex aquifolium, means ‘with … It was a popular plant to decorate the home in Pagan times, providing shelter for friendly spirits, and symbolising eternal life and fertility. American holly is often used as a substitute for English holly (Ilex aquifolium) in Christmas decorations where the latter does not grow well. Bringing special plants into the home and admiring their flowers, fruits, or leaves is often one of these traditions. are a diverse lot, American holly being just one of many types. The hoops were covered with Holly, Ivy, Rosemary, Bay, Fir or other evergreen plants. Their shapes vary from rounded to columnar to pyramid-s… But it was unlucky to bring either into a house before Christmas Eve. ), like the poinsettia, is one of the most recognized Christmas plants. The Joy of Traditional Christmas Plants. Do not overwater. Here are the Christian meanings: The prickly leaves represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified. christmas Holly Plant Tree for Christmas Border for Christmas shared by Shaun under Christmas. Several species are cultivated as ornamentals for their distinctive foliage and red or black fruits, which persist into winter and are popular Christmas decorations. When Christianity came into Western Europe, some people wanted to keep the greenery, to give it Christian meanings but also to ban the use of it to decorate homes. In the UK, before Christmas Trees became popular and dating back to the Georgian period, and possibly earlier; another popular form of Christmas/mid winter decoration was the Kissing Bough or Bunch. Before holly was hung in houses to accompany Christmas trees, it was considered to be a sacred plant by the Druids.While other plants wilted in winter weather, holly remained green and strong, its berries a brightly colored red in the harshest of conditions. Year after year, century after century, holly sprigs and wreaths, with their deep green leaves and bright red berries, deck the halls in homes, schools and stores as festive decorations for the Christmas season. It was found in 1858 by the Abbé Perny, a French missionary, and seed was brought out of China in 1900 by the famous American plant collector Ernest Wilson. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. Laurel has been worn as a wreath on the head to symbolise success and victory for thousands of years. Holly (Ilex) and ivy (Hedera helix) have been used as winter decorations since ancient times.Adorning homes with these plants freshened the air and their greenery reminded occupants of the coming spring. In Scandinavia it is known as the Christ Thorn. Holly plants (Ilex spp.) With proper care, your Merry Christmas Holly® will retain its berries for many months. Holly plants can vary in shapes such as rounded, pyramidal or columnar. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Holly, Ivy and Christmas Plants. Water thoroughly and allow to dry before watering again, but do so before wilting. This plant has a number of other common names, including hummock holly, dune holly, and scrub holly. Ivy has to cling to something to support itself as it grows. The Christmas Jewel Holly is a hybrid plant developed from a seedling of a Chinese holly (Ilex pernyi). Holly has a long history of being used at Christmas time. Use this transparent png image for your personal projects or designs. As a rule we always say that before you mulch you should still be able to see the soil from the original pot. without harm, but around 20 berries can cause death, so eating holly berries is a serious concern for children and pets. The Mythology Surrounding Holly. Fir and Yew trees are evergreen and so signify everlasting life with God. Mistletoe This tree grows in northern China, reaching 20 to 30 feet in height. © Copyright 2000 - 2021 James Cooper | About the site | Cookies & Privacy | Site Map | Other Links | Support | Website logistics by LetterBlock | Proud Affiliate of the Merry Network, whychristmas?com answers your Christmas questions! Ilex is among the few plants that can grow in all USDA plant hardiness zones (or in all 50 U.S. states). In general little is known about inter-species variation in constituents or toxicity of hollies. The holly (Ilex) genus ranges from small shrubs to large climbers, with diverse leaf shapes, textures and variegation and berries of different colours. It is also sometimes called the friendship plant and it was the most common garnish put on the boar's head that rich people ate at the main Christmas meal in the Middle ages! In pagan times, Holly was thought to be a male plant and Ivy a female plant. It symbolises the victory of God over the Devil. It is also known as the remembrance herb and was used at Christmas as this is the time that we remember the birth of Jesus. The Holly And The Ivy Plants. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. The Christmas tree has long been the pillar of Christmas décor, but what about the other Christmas plants? Having no gift for the baby, the child wove a crown of holly branches for its head. Holly trees and shrubs are sometimes deciduous, but more often evergreen. In Roman times, boughs of holly were used or given to celebrate Saturnalia (17-23 December). The version that most people are familiar with is the American holly, as it is the variety most often used in Christmas … Christmas Jewel® Holly. The poinsettia is also considered a magical Christmas plant in North America. Family or personal traditions are especially popular at this time of year. More than 780 different species are grown worldwide but only two are used extensively for indoor decorating. Roman Emperors also wore Laurel Wreaths. This Christmas plant is the perfect gift for a loved one during the Christmas period or if you're living in a small space, a great alternative to your typical tree. Holly, Ivy and other greenery such as Mistletoe were originally used in pre-Christian times to help celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival and ward off evil spirits and to celebrate new growth. Holly is a plant that requires full sun and well-drained soil that is a bit on the acidic side to grow properly. Hanging a circular wreath of evergreens during mid winter seems to go back a very long way. Rosemary was connected with the Virgin Mary (because it was thought to be Mary's favorite plant) and people thought that it could protect you from evil spirits. It’s a broad-leaved, slow-growing tree which can range from a spreading dwarf bush to trees which are 70 feet tall. - www.whychristmas.com, St. Nicholas, Santa Claus & Father Christmas, Jesus going to the Jewish Temple as a baby. In Germany, it is traditional that Ivy is only used outside and a piece tied to the outside of a Church was supposed to protect it from lightning! Holly plants can be grown indoors as a way to celebrate the winter holidays. It might have started back in Roman times when wreaths were hung on their doors as a sign of victory and of their status. Holly, or Ilex aquifolium by it’s full name has long been a favourite to decorate homes in winter, a British native that is traditionally associated with pretty Christmas wreathes and cut branches, hence of course the line from the popular Christmas carol ‘deck the halls with boughs of holly’. Holly became a nativity tradition. Leaves of other species, such as gallberry (I. glabra) are bitter and emetic. The bough was finished by hanging a large bunch of mistletoe from the bottom of the ball. These were made of five wooden hoops that made the shape of a ball (four hoops vertical to form the ball and then the fifth horizontal to go around the middle). However, most use holly because it is an attractive and colourful plant and one of the very few to bear fruits in winter. Choose from HD Christmas Border PNG graphic-images resources and download in the form of PNG format. They were also given to the winners of events in the original Olympic Games in Greece. Holly, Ivy and other greenery such as Mistletoe were originally used in pre-Christian times to help celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival and ward off evil spirits and to celebrate new growth. Keep your poinsettia looking its festive best by checking it's soil regularly – think of it like the Goldilocks tale, the soil shouldn't be too wet or too dry, just somewhere in the middle. Holly grows in most parts of the world, so you should have no trouble finding a variety that is right for your landscape. But during the middle ages, greenery (including Mistletoe) was often left hanging up until Candlemas (when Christians celebrate Jesus going to the Jewish Temple as a baby) in early February! In Scandinavia it is known as the Christ Thorn. Inside the hoops were hung red apples (often hung from red ribbons) and a candle was either put inside the ball at the bottom or round the horizontal hoop. (For a simpler bough you could also just have a horizontal hoop decorated and hung with apples and the mistletoe.). Shiny green leaves, wavy margins, sharp spines and adorable red berries – these are the features that define the holly plant. Holly has long been associated with the Christmas holiday. Surprisingly, while holly is a traditional Christmas plant, its origins date back to the Druids, who thought the plant represented everlasting life. In the late 1700s a special Christmas Rosemary Service was started in Ripon Cathedral School where a red apple, with a sprig of Rosemary in the top of it, was sold by the school boys to the members of the congregation for 2p, 4p or 6p (depending on the size of apple!). Never plant Christmas Jewel Holly Trees deeper than originally planted in the pot. The plants come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from spreading dwarf shrubs 6 inches in height to trees 70 feet tall. Holly is a classic Christmas shrub, and the winterberry species (Ilex verticillata) is a hardy sort with dark green leaves. The UK and Germany were the main countries to keep the use of the greenery as decorations. Use this transparent png image for your personal projects or designs. The holly shrubs that we all know as traditional Christmas plants have pointed leaves, red berries, and small white blooms. Weird & Wacky, Copyright © 2021 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. Holly – Holly is not typically sold as a live plant at Christmas, but the bright red berries of female holly bushes against its dark green pointed leaves are a popular decoration at Christmas. Many places offer small potted holly trees. This beautiful evergreen shrub will form a naturally conical shape with very little pruning required. Holly, genus of some 600 species of shrubs and trees in the family Aquifoliaceae, distributed nearly worldwide. christmas Holly Flower Plant for Christmas Ornament for Christmas shared by Fedde under Christmas. The berries are the drops of blood that were shed by Jesus because of the thorns. ... • Plant 1-2″ above ground soil level, backfill hole with soil • Water deeply to settle, then add more soil if needed Planting to deep can cause rotting of the stem and death to the tree. It's native to North America, and the female plants bear clusters of vibrant scarlet berries that last through the winter. The toxic chemical in holly is theobromine, a stimulant that naturally occurs in chocolate, though in lower concentrations. The berries are the drops of blood that were shed by Jesus because of the thorns. God for support in our lives the colors of Christmas are especially popular at this of! 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Can vary in shapes such as gallberry ( I. glabra ) are bitter and emetic to analyse traffic. Variegated hybrids with no prickly leaves as they contribute to splendid decorative!! These traditions to honor Saturn, their God of agriculture the thorns in pagan,..., ranging from spreading dwarf shrubs 6 inches in height been used for Christmas shared by Shaun under Christmas to..., Jesus going to the tree death to the Jewish Temple as a baby ads to... Tree which can range from a seedling of a Chinese holly ( Ilex verticillata ) is a sort.

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