Ohio Outdoors: Deck the halls with...

Deck the Halls with…

I bet you finished that line. During a Portage County winter, most of our trees and herbaceous plant life slumber until the arrival of spring. Mix bare branches with cloudy skies and short days, and you’ve got a recipe for gloom and despair. This is why our ancestors celebrated evergreens, plants that are green all year even in the grayest of winters. We carry on that tradition today, especially at Christmas.

Of course, Christmas trees are evergreen. Needled branches of pine, spruce, fir, cedar, yew and hemlock also make gorgeous garlands, swags and wreaths. As the song suggests, the broad, evergreen leaves of holly trees are also popular foliage at this time of year.

Holly leaves are typically glossy and stiff. This is due to a natural wax coating. The waxy outer layer protects that plant from losing too much water during times of scarcity. This also prevents wilting, keeping holiday décor fresh longer.

Besides the gloss, many holly varieties have the additional protection of spikes on their leaf edges. The spikes deter animals from eating the leaves, which allow them to continue to produce food for the plant. If any of you have walked barefoot under a holly tree, you know how much of a deterrent those spikes can be. Those same spiky leaves can be beneficial to other types of wildlife, providing shelter from predators for many birds and butterfly larva.

Hollies have the uncommon distinction of being heterophyllous, meaning they can grow different types of leaves on the same tree or even the same branch. This is yet another form of defense against leaves being eaten, typically by deer. If the tree is being browsed upon, it will grow leaves with more spikes on that part of the tree. Leaves within reach of herbivores, like deer, tend to have more spikes than leaves growing higher on the tree. So, if you are cutting your own holly and want a traditional holly look, you don’t even need a ladder.

Holly’s holiday appeal comes not only from its leaves, but also from its bright red fruits. Most of us refer to these drupes as holly berries. Of course, not every holly can grow “berries.” The majority of holly varieties are dioecious, which means that male and female plants are separate. The male trees provide pollen, which allows the female trees to grow fruit. Interestingly enough, holly berries can be black, white, yellow or red depending on the variety of holly, although red are the most popular, especially for holiday decorating.

Hollies belong to the genus Ilex. While most Ilex members are evergreen, there are a few that drop their leaves before winter. One deciduous species that grows well in Ohio is called winterberry. This small tree is prized for the spectacular display of bright red fruit it carries during those dull winter months. Those same “berries” provide food for many birds.

Although there are a few species of holly that are native to Ohio, most hollies tend to grow better farther south. Still, there are varieties that when planted and cared for properly will thrive in Portage County.

So, whether you use hollies simply as holiday décor or as part of your landscape, they will grace your home with color and beauty throughout the drab, gray months of winter.