Ilex aquifolium L.

Ilex aquifolium, the holly, common holly, English holly, European holly, or occasionally Christmas holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aquifoliaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia. It is regarded as the type species of the genus Ilex, which by association is also called holly. It is an evergreen tree or shrub found, for example, in shady areas of forests of oak and in beech hedges. In the British Isles it is one of very few native hardwood evergreen trees. It has a great capacity to adapt to different conditions and is a pioneer species that repopulates the margins of forests or clearcuts.

Source: Wikipedia

Synonyms 47

Aquifolium croceum, Aquifolium ferox, Aquifolium heterophyllum, Aquifolium ilex, Aquifolium lanceolatum, Aquifolium planifolium, Aquifolium spinosum, Aquifolium undulatum, Aquifolium vulgare, Ilex balearica, Ilex camelliifolia, Ilex chrysocarpa, Ilex ciliata, Ilex citriocarpa, Ilex echinata, Ilex ferox, Ilex fischeri, Ilex nigricans, Ilex sempervirens, Ilex vulgaris, Ilex perado subsp. iberica, Ilex aquifolium var. acanthos, Ilex aquifolium var. albolineata, Ilex aquifolium var. albomarginata, Ilex aquifolium var. alcicornis, Ilex aquifolium var. algarviensis, Ilex aquifolium var. angustifolia, Ilex aquifolium var. arbutifolia, Ilex aquifolium var. atrovirens, Ilex aquifolium var. aureomarginata, Ilex aquifolium var. aureopicta, Ilex aquifolium var. bacciflavum, Ilex aquifolium var. balearica, Ilex aquifolium var. barcinonae, Ilex aquifolium var. beetii, Ilex aquifolium var. belgica, Ilex aquifolium var. bicolor, Ilex aquifolium var. buxifolia, Ilex aquifolium var. ciliata, Ilex aquifolium var. ciliata-major, Ilex aquifolium var. ciliata-minor, Ilex aquifolium var. compacta, Ilex aquifolium var. crassifolia, Ilex aquifolium var. crispa, Ilex aquifolium var. dipirena, Ilex aquifolium var. doningtonensis, Ilex aquifolium var. echinata

778,928 GBIF occurrences
80,520 iNaturalist observations

Conservation status code

Conservation: status label

Least Concern

Conservation: population trend

Stable

Conservation: year assessed

2026

IUCN Red List page

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/202963/209180209

Habitats

Threats

IUCN: population narrative

This is a common and widespread species throughout most of its range, except in Sweden where only one indigenous individual remains. In Denmark it is scattered, mostly in the southwest, while in Norway it only grows out on the more oceanic parts of Vestland. The species is missing in other Nordic countries (Gärdenfors 2010).

IUCN: habitat narrative

A hardy deciduous or evergreen shrub up to ten metres tall with spiny leaves, Ilex aquifolium produces red berries in autumn. It is found in beech and oak woodland as a dominant understorey shrub. It is also found in scrub, hedgerow, rocky places, gardens and urban areas. It is a pioneer species but is considered to be invasive in the USA (Blamey and Grey-Wilson 2003, JNCC 2012, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland 2024).

IUCN: threats narrative

The susceptibility of Holly to browsing can limit its regeneration (Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland 2024). Regeneration of Holly is sensitive to drought during both the seedling and the adult stage (Walther et al. 2005). In Croatia it has declined due to collection from the wild (Nikolic and Topic 2007). Threats to the species are unlikely to significantly impact the population.

IUCN: conservation narrative

This species is listed on the following national red lists as Least Concern: Denmark (NERI 2007), Germany (Ludwig and Schnittler 1996), Luxembourg (Colling 2005), Norway (Solstad 2021), Switzerland (Moser et al. 2002) and the UK (Cheffings and Farrell 2005). It is listed as Critically Endangered in Sweden due to its extremely small population size, but it is also found as an escapee through cultivation (SLU ArtDatabanken 2023, Gärdenfors 2010). It is listed as Vulnerable under criterion A1d in Croatia (Nikolic and Topic 2007). It occurs in seventy-six Natura 2000 sites in Spain and three in France (European Environment Agency 2010), as well as some Natura 2000 sites in Portugal (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2023). The habitat 9380 "Forests of Ilex aquifolium" is listed under Annex I of the Habitats Directive.

IUCN: rationale

European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)Holly (Ilex aquifolium) is classified as Least Concern due to its widespread distribution, stable population trend, and the fact that it currently faces no major threats.

Ilex aquifolium L.

Related species

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