Holly acicular. Holly common, or holly

On the vast territory of the largest continent - Eurasia - more fully than the others, you can see the manifestation of the planetary law of geographical landscape zoning. Despite the fact that the border of Europe and Asia is quite extended, the formation of their soil cover has not been the same. That is why the flora of Eurasia is so diverse. There are so many different plants that it is difficult to count. The names of the ornamental trees and fruit cultures of the continent are so numerous that they make up weighty volumes. We will consider only one rather interesting plant.

Holly

Photo of this representative of the plant world of our continent is familiar to everyone. By its branches, fixed together with the mistletoe and rowan hands above the entrance to the dwellings, our ancestors drove away the evil spirit long before Rome was founded. The name of decorative trees of the Padub family is found in Celtic, Baltic, Scandinavian and Slavic literature.

Description of the species

Holly, a photo of which can often be found on Christmas cards, refers to the family of the same name. It has about four hundred varieties, common in both temperate and tropical regions. Few know that all its species are poisonous plants. Photos and names of them are in any manuals on plant growing.

These are evergreen shrubs or trees that have spiny, jagged, rarely entire leaves. In all the representatives of dioecious small, axillary flowers and berry-like fruits - the drupes, which seem to be very appetizing, but inedible: they are all poisonous plants.

Photo and names of holly varieties

There are many varieties of this representative of the Eurasian flora. For example, the city, called also Japanese, subspecies - an evergreen plant, whose height reaches only two and a half meters. It has small and rounded leaves.

Another variety - the holly of the mecerve - is a hybrid that has many varieties with very dark bluish-green leaves. Purely "male" Blui Prince is considered an excellent pollinator for his "fellow". The Golden and Blue Princesses are also of the same sex. Some varieties, including Blue Meid, have both female and male flowers on one plant. They have the usual green foliage, not as spectacular as, for example, the Blue Angel, since it lacks the characteristic metallic luster.

Most varieties have red fruits, although some, for example, have Golden Princess, they are painted yellow.

Many believe that holly are only evergreen, but it is not. In the family of the same name, there are also deciduous subspecies. Particularly interesting is the outwardly decorative whorled holly. It comes from the north-eastern regions of North America. He perfectly coexists with other deciduous species. Meet whorled holly can only be on moist soils, for example, in swamps or along the banks of watercourses.

Ilex aquifolia

This is the name of the most widespread sort in Latin: holly holly. It is appreciated for the shine of leathery leaves - dark green or bicolour - and also for the brightness of eye-catching fruits of red or yellow, white or black and even orange flowers.

Holly holly (or ordinary) looks like a real Christmas tree. It reaches a height of nine, and a width of up to six meters. He has a conical (and in adults specimens slightly rounded at the tip) shape. Small white and strongly fragrant flowers appear in June or July, depending on the region. They stay on twigs for only two weeks. Then they are replaced by bright red copulation from berries, reaching in size to half a centimeter. It is a holly - a plant, on the basis of which many varieties were bred.

Description of the species

This evergreen shrub with a pointed-conical openwork form grows rather slowly. The branches of holly-holly grow very densely, and the lower lateral processes are dangling. They are densely arranged ovate-lanceolate leaves with vyemchatato-wavy edges. Holly - the plant is dioecious.

He has a deep root system. Lateral processes widely distributed. They can form root offspring. Holly cropline grows well on fertile neutral soils. He prefers a half-shadow or even a full shadow. Young plants can suffer from frost. Nevertheless, holly-holly is a tree that perfectly withstands smoke and gas contamination in the air. It propagates by cuttings.

Spread

Holly is widely cultivated in Western Europe. Its cultivation in the Russian middle belt is somewhat difficult due to the low winter hardiness of the young. But it can safely be planted in orchards in the Caucasus or on the Black Sea coast. The hollybore is well suited as a plant with pre-cultivation: overexposure to winter cold in cold rooms with a low but positive temperature. It grows well not only on the drained, but in general on any, not too poor, including on moderately dry-humid, humus soils. At the same time on comparatively humid soils this shrub is more light-loving. When breeding, you need to remember that the holly often dies from sunburn.

Care

A hollybread is a plant that does not require much attention in the garden. It can safely settle down on sandy and clay soils, but under condition of their high water permeability, as well as in the presence of humus. Holly holly is drought-resistant. It is better to form a shrub pruning after fruiting.

When planting in the garden, it should be borne in mind that Holly Holly requires cross-pollination. Therefore, for abundant fruiting on the site you need to have several plants, you can even combine two varieties, planting male and female trees near each other.

Sometimes the holly is affected by late blight, leading to decay of the rhizomes and to the complete death of the plant. Therefore, if a disease is found on the tree, the plant should be immediately destroyed and disinfected with soil around.

In the case of prolonged drought, the plant should be watered very abundantly, especially young or potted specimens. Every spring holly-holly should be given top dressing from a liquid fertilizer, diluted at the rate of thirty milliliters per bucket of water.

In the biblical subjects

One of the legends says that where the Savior walked on earth, the holly bushes sprouted. There are even images on which on the head of Christ, instead of thorns, a prickly wreath is wore from holly.

According to the biblical legend, once the berries of this plant were snow-white, but reddened, stained with the blood of the Savior.

"Magic force

Holly (or ordinary) man paid attention to holly long before the appearance of Christianity. The inhabitants of the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast, where this shrub grows wildly, since ancient times, deified him, endowed with magical power.

This viable plant is able to survive even in a deep forest shade where no seeds will arise. It enters the peak of its decorativeness in the autumn and survives the winter with an evergreen, decorated with leaves and fruits, armed with its blood-red poisonous berries that give protection to people.

It was believed that one could make a magic wand out of it, and a spear with a shaft of its wood would bring an unqualified victory over evil forces. And today there is still a belief that a plentiful harvest of holly fruits is a harbinger of a harsh winter.

Fruit

Holly berries mature in autumn. They perfectly winter on the tree. This plant is one of the most favorite and most expressive symbols of Christmas. In Christianity, holly holly, whose photo is even in biblical literature, is an expression of suffering. His red berries symbolize blood. And as a whole, the plant embodies eternal life and rebirth.

Berries of holly were used centuries ago in the treatment of fever and some other diseases. There is evidence that they have helped more than once in the epidemics of smallpox erupting in Europe.

Folk healers know that both the fruits and leaves of holly-bodied holly, although they have antipyretic and some other medicinal properties, but use them with great care. Drugs made from them are very dangerous because they contain such a highly toxic substance as orcin.

Only fifteen or twenty berries will be plenty, so that after they are eaten, an adult will receive the most severe poisoning. Although it is fair to say that there are not very many lethal cases in history. German doctors say that after poisoning, it is necessary to kick out a "wedge with a wedge": it's enough to rub against the trunk of the first holly bush to come, that almost immediate healing will come.

Holly Holly in landscape design

This beautiful plant finds an excellent use, as well as other shrubs of a natural garden. It provides feed of birds in winter thanks to its fruits, which are preserved on the branches until the beginning of the next flowering. And it is thanks to birds and the breeding of holly in the wild nature: eating berries, they carry the seeds contained in them, almost everywhere.

Gardeners know that the young shoots of this plant are the most intrusive weeds. Holly hollyshkin perfectly gives in to a curly hairstyle. Therefore, designers often use it to get beautiful topiary. Bonsai lovers also like to work with this bush.

In the garden

From a practical point, the holly (or holly is ordinary) is of interest as a windbreak, well suited for landing on the sea coast due to its high resistance to salt. In addition, it produces a very reliable hedge. Extremely thorny leaves of holly on plants planted close to them - reliable protection of the garden from unwanted visitors. And decorative compositions made from this holly for Christmas or New Year, make this culture even more attractive.

At home

Due to the fact that the holly is very beautiful, many prefer to grow it in pots. At home, it needs to be transplanted every two years (in spring) into a container more spacious than the real one. The substrate for growing in the pot must be a mixture of fertile turfy soil, peat and sand, taken in equal amounts, dressed with complex fertilizer.