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The holly family, Aquifoliaceae, is widely used for landscaping all over the world and in holiday decorations. Holly is chosen for its decorative value because of the thick, dark green, year-round foliage and its red berries. The persistent leaves of American holly have several thorny spines around the margin. These spines are really sharp and dinstinctive. The bright, red berries also help distinguish American holly from other trees. Birds like blue jays, cedar waxwings, robins, mockingbirds,
red-bellied woodpeckers, and wild turkey, eat the berries of
American holly as do mammals such as racoon and deer. These berries
are also an important food source in the winter for songbirds.
In return, the birds carry holly seeds from the berries to new
areas. |
 Leaves and fruit |
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The wood is white, light, and tough but not very strong. It has
been used to make cabinets but does not have a high commercial
value. Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine) is similar to the American holly, especially its fruit and flowers. Dahoon holly leaves are not as leathery and the leaf margins are not as thorny as the American holly. American holly grows from Massachusetts to Florida, east to Texas, and along the Mississippi Valley to Indiana and Illinois. It is rarely found in the mountains. |
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