Ilex aquifolium (English holly, "Seiyohiiragi")

Japanese name: セイヨウヒイラギ （西洋柊）
Scientific name: Ilex aquifolium

[Overview]
An evergreen tree that reaches 10–25 m in height and 40–80 cm in trunk diameter in its native habitat.
The crown is conical.
The leaves are simple and alternate, elliptical, 5–12 cm long and 2–6 cm wide, thick, and glossy on the upper surface.
On young trees and on leaves of the lower branches of mature trees, the leaf tip is sharply spine-like, and the margin has several pairs of teeth ending in sharp spines, giving it a wavy appearance.
Leaves on the upper branches of mature trees are almost entire.
The plant is dioecious.
Both male and female plants produce inflorescences in the leaf axils of the previous year's branches; male flowers are borne in cymes, and female flowers singly or in cymes.
The flowers are small, 4-petaled, and white to cream.
The fruit is spherical, 6–10 mm in diameter, and ripens red.
Before exposure to cold the fruit is bitter, so birds and other animals do not eat it and it remains until winter.

[History]
In Europe, it was long regarded as a sacred tree by the Druids.
It was also used in the festival of the agricultural god held around the winter solstice in ancient Rome, and this is said to have passed into Christianity as the custom of decorating with it at Christmas as a charm against evil.
The spines on the leaves and the red fruit are linked to Christ's crown of thorns and blood.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or grafting.
Propagation from seed is also possible, but plants grown from seed turn out to be both male and female.
For sowing, harvest ripe fruit, wash off the pulp, bury the seeds in moist vermiculite or similar so they do not dry out, store them in a cool, dark place, take them out in March–April of the following year, and wash them thoroughly again before sowing.
It is a plant suited to cool regions.
It prefers sun to partial shade and well-drained, humus-rich, moderately moist soil.
More sun gives better fruit set, but it dislikes strong afternoon sun and dry sites.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
For plants in the ground, watering is unnecessary unless sunny weather continues and the soil becomes very dry.
For fertilizer in winter, dig holes in several places around the plant and bury compost.
Pests and diseases include sooty mold and scale insects.

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