Ok, it’s the first week in November and yesterday there was the telltale-shopping cart at the supermarket that was filled with half-priced Halloween candy. Here’s a suggestion for the retailers: since the candy inside the package is the same, why not just put a Halloween sticker on the package. That way, you can just remove it and replace it with a Christmas sticker and sell it at full price? At the discount store, orange is being replaced with Christmas reds and greens. There was great controversy last year on whether the store should call it Christmas or “Holiday Season.” It’s important stuff like that we have to think about this time of year. I guess there are two schools of thought; there are those who want to extend the season for as long as possible, like retailers, and those who enjoy it for a couple of weeks and then are glad that it’s over. Like parents. I fall into the camp that says that Christmas comes way too early each year, but for those of you who like to be reminded all year long, and also like to garden, you can plant some holly.
Holly comes from the word “holy” and early Europeans used sprigs of holly to honor the birth of Christ. The ancient Druids considered holly, along with another Christmas plant, Mistletoe, as being sacred. They had complex rituals to harvest them with elaborate golden scythes. Holly has been used in ancient medicine to treat tuberculosis, cough, and toothache. The white wood of the plant is carved into the white players on a chessboard, while ebony is used for the black.
The big bushy plant with the waxy leaves and bright red berries that you think of at Christmas is actually the English holly. But, there are some 400 varieties of trees and shrubs in this genus of plant. Most of them are evergreens and work well as ornamental plants in gardens. Hollies can be used as foundation plantings, hedges, screens, and windbreaks.
It’s important to note that Hollies are dioecious-the plant sexes are different with each plant. Pollinations occur primarily with bees, therefore it is important to have a male plant near the female ones. Otherwise there may not be a display of colorful berries. Hollies grow best in sun to partial shade, in soil that is well drained and loamy. Here are a few of the types of Hollies that will do well in St. Louis climate:
American Holly: this native plant is noted for its long lasting red berries and glossy, prickly leaves. It is highly resistant to deer and rabbits.
English Holly: this is the Christmas Holly that most of us are familiar with. The bright red berries will last long into winter. This Holly will grow up to 80 feet tall.
Longstalk Holly: this plant is native to Japan and China. This beautiful and decorative plant grows to about 15 feet tall and its berries will last well into November.
Winterberry: Winterberry Holly will typically grow to about 6 feet. The green leaves drop in the fall, but the berries are very plentiful and will last into February. You can also get varieties of this plant that have yellow and gold berries.
Inkberry Holly: This evergreen Holly grows to about 6 feet tall and has leaves with a smooth edge and are very dark green in color. A good foundation plant, the berries are very dark, almost black in color.
