Scientific name: Ilex aquifolium L.
Common name: Holly
Description
Habit: Woody, dioecious, evergreen shrub or tree up to 20 m high.
Leaves: Alternate, short stalked, thick, shining, oval, often with wavy margin with sharp spiny teeth; upper leaves on old trees flat, entire, without spines.
Flowers: White, 8-10 mm across, in small cymes in leaf axils; sepals, petals and stamens 4; ovary superior.
Fruits: 6-10 mm, red, berry-like drupe with several seeds.
Twigs: Green.
Bark: Smooth, grey.
Habitat: Woods, scrubs and hedges, limestone pavement, open heathland, lake-islands and mountain glens.
Distribution: Very frequent over most of the region, only absent from the most exposed coastal areas.
Native status: Native
Threats: Grazing
Of conservation interest: No