What is Holly?
Ilex or holly refers to over 500 different species of plants, though people may be most familiar with just a few of them. These varieties may be evergreen or deciduous and are grown throughout the world. Typically, people think of some of the characteristics of holly that make them recognizable, including red berries, and glossy, sharp leaves, which are usually a deep green color. While many ilex species fit this characteristic, a few may have berries in different colors, and things like size and shape can vary significantly. Holly can usually come in bush or tree form, and some species, like the American Holly can grow to be 50 feet tall (15.24 m). Others top out at about four to six feet (1.22- 1.83 m) in height. Most plants, like the common holly (Ilex aquifolium), come in both male and female forms, which is called dioecious. If people are growing the shrubs or trees to produce berries, they need to plant female ones, and it may be necessary to plant a male plant too, in order to p
