Holly Gift Tree

Description

Holly – chuilinn in Gaelic. This gift tree is grown from seed collected locally, nurtured to a young sapling in the Isle of Eigg Tree Nursery. These trees are cell-grown saplings, ranging from approximately 20-60cm in height. Presented in a hessian bag protecting the roots in transit along with an information sheet with planting guidance, all enclosed and delivered in a postal tube.

Cell-grown trees can be planted all year round. Please be aware that if purchased in autumn/winter trees will be dormant and in spring/summer they will be actively growing.

If you would like to add a message to go along with your gift, you can do so on the checkout page.

To continue protecting bio-security, trees will only be sold within the UK, no international postage available.

In folklore, the Holly was the King of the Woods for half the year, ruling from the Summer Solstice to the Winter Solstice, at which time Holly was defeated by the Oak King who ruled until the Summer Solstice again. In this way Holly was seen as the rival of Oak for the favour of the Lady of the Woods, Birch, who switched her allegiance from Oak to Holly and back again.

Holly generally takes the form of a small tree, although, given light and space, it can grow up to 23 metres in height. Holly is one of our few evergreen broadleaves. The tough, shiny leaves are full of oils, preventing water  loss, and are highly flammable. They are one of the few food sources available in winter, so the lower leaves develop sharp, protective spines. Each leaf lives for two to three years and is usually shed in spring.

Holly grows well in most conditions, especially in the milder south and west. It flourishes in acidic soils, but avoid wet conditions. It can tolerate deep shade and also casts it, which prevents most species from flourishing beneath it. It tolerates pollution and is often planted in towns for this reason. Holly is slow growing, which results in white wood that is hard, dense and heavy, without any distinct heartwood or sapwood. The bark was once boiled to make birdlime for trapping small birds. Boiled young leaves were recommended as a cure for colds, bronchitis and rheumatism.