The festive American holly. (In profile).

The American holly has always played an important role in this country's culture. Even before European settlers arrived in North America, native Americans boiled American holly twigs with pine tops to produce a tea to cure coughs. Today evergreen leaves and red berries are synonymous with Christmas in the United States.

When the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts a week before Christmas in 1620, they saw American holly (Ilex opaca) in the nearby forest and no doubt were reminded of English holly (flex aquifolium), for centuries a symbol of Christmas in England and Europe.

Because American holly is native along the East Coast from Massachusetts to northern Florida, virtually all settlers in those first 100 years were able to continue their Christmas tradition in their new land. Since then American holly--also called dune holly, white holly and, of course, Christmas holly--has been one of the East's more valuable and popular trees.

In the early 20th century holly branches became such a popular indoor Christmas decoration that vandals began stealing them from private landscapes. To preserve the landscape in Maryland and Delaware, where the native tree is prolific, laws were passed prohibiting the sale of fresh American holly.

A SLOW GROWER

American holly grows somewhat slowly, eventually reaching a height of 15 to 30 feet in an erect but compact pyramidal or columnar form. It's also not uncommon to see a tree grow nearly 50 feet tail. Branching from the trunk begins at ground level, but many homeowners prefer to prune the lower limbs to give the plant a more tree-like appearance. Planted in the right conditions with proper care, hollies can live for 100 years or more. They typically spread from 8 to 15 feet in diameter, although spreads of 18 to 40 feet are not unheard of. Mature American homes have a trunk 12 to 18 inches in diameter.

Stiff and prickly evergreen American holly leaves are a glossy medium green to oilve green on the surface and lighter green on the underside. Their broadly indented margins show the distinctive prickly spines that are typical of most evergreen hollies--and dangerous to bare feet! Measuring 2 to 4 inches long and i to 1-1/2 inches wide, depending on the variety, the leaves are arranged alternately along the holly stems. They remain attached for three years and are then shed in the spring. Some varieties of American homes have variegated leaves of cream and green.

Holly bark is light gray and smooth; twigs are gray-white. The wood is light and dense but not strong. It sands and turns easily and pollshes to a fine luster.

American holly is diecious, meaning that both male and female plants are needed for fruit production. One male plant can provide pollen to three to eight female plants. It's possible to graft a male branch onto a female plant, thereby giving the plant its own built-in pollen source. I wonder why that isn't routinely done for home landscape plants; perhaps the shape of the tree is affected? If you know the answer, please [e-mail].

Flowering begins about the fourth or fifth year. American holly flowers are creamy-white and small, with four tiny petals. Male flowers grow in small clusters where the leaves join the stems. Female flowers are solitary or in smaller clusters than the male flowers. Males have four stamens sticking up between the petals; females have bulb-like structures in the center, with little stalks rising from them. The flowers of both sexes appear in late spring or early summer, and pollination occurs thanks to bees, wasps, ants, yellow jackets, and night-flying moths.

Stunning 1/4-inch red berries appear on female trees in mid-autumn on the current year's growth. A few varieties sport yellow berries. The berries hang on into early spring unless devoured by songbirds, bobwhite, deer, squirrels, or wild turkey. American holly trees are a major food source for winter-migrating flacks of small birds such as the cedar waxwing and American goldfinch, and stands of hollies are an important fast food stop in their migrations.

POPULAR FOR LANDSCAPES

American hollies have become popular as landscape plants and make excellent stand-alone specimen trees when planted singly and given sufficient space to grow. However, many homeowners choose to group them as hedges to screen their yards from neighbors or traffic noise or to serve as background plantings. Some varieties lend themselves to topiary sculpture, espalier, or bonsai training. Several varieties are able to withstand salt spray and are recommended for use in seashore landscapes.

There are hundreds of varieties of American holly, though most are not commonly used in the landscape industry. For that reason, it's not a good idea to recommend a species for use in all parts of its range. Regional differences among holly varieties are important for hardiness. Also important is good information. Seek advice from a reliable local nursery when looking for an American holly tree for your home landscape.

As noted earlier, holly branches are ideal as holiday decorations. After harvesting the berry-laden branches, slit the cut ends to help them absorb water and soak for 3 to 4 hours in a tub of room temperature water They last longest if kept in water to which a teaspoon of sugar has been added. Adding a half a cup of citrus-based soda (not diet) to a large container of water will also help prolong the life of the boughs and retard berry drop. The water should be changed every three days. Spraying the holly with an anti-transpirant will extend the life of boughs draped on lintels and mantels or incorporated into wreaths. Do not use live greens near fireplaces or lit candies.

OTHER USES

Although holly lumber is not a major commercial material, it is sometimes used in building fine furniture. When made into a veneer, the wood will take a very fine finish. Holly lumber is also used for ship models, inlay work, and wood-turning. In the past it was also valued for use as wood block engraving, umbrella handles, and the backs of brushes. When stained black, holly resembles the much sought-after African ebony wood. Consequently, holly is often used for the black keys on pianos and organs and for the pegs and fingerboards on violins.

THE RIGHT PLACE

The American holly's range corresponds roughly to the combined range for loblolly and shortleaf pines. Grow it from northern Florida as far north as the Ohio Valley, southern Pennsylvania, and west to Texas (zones 9 to 5). The habitat extends up the East Coast from Delaware to Massachusetts. Some varieties have been known to thrive in lower New York (zone 4) and central Michigan (zone 5) when situated in protected places. In general, plants with variegated leaves are less hardy.

American holly grows best in full sun. While it will definitely tolerate some shade, a tree located in full shade is likely to be less compact and produce fewer berries. Full shade also leaves it vulnerable to leaf spot diseases, especially in humid locations. A well-drained loamy soil that is fairly light, sandy, and acidic to neutral (pH 5.0 to 7.0) is ideal. Soils having higher pH (alkaline) cause poor growth and induce chlorosis floss of green leaf color).

Plant male and female hollies within 300 feet of each other; a ratio of one male to between three and eight female plants will ensure a good crop of berries. Spring is best for planting, but you can put balled and burlapped or container grown hollies in the ground in early spring or fall. Choose location carefully: After five or six years the tree is difficult to transplant because it has a central tap root with many lateral roots.

CARING FOR AMERICAN HOLLY

American holly is prized as an easy-care tree for the home landscape. It won't need supplemental watering except when first planted, in droughts, or in late fall before the ground freezes for the winter. Even well-established trees will need watering during a severe drought. Hollies are sensitive to over-fertilization and each year need only one application of a slow-release granular fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants. Once or twice a year, give your holly a treat: an inch-deep mulch layer of used coffee grounds.

The tree will require some routine pruning to keep it in shape. Regularly pyramidal as young trees, they tend to become more open and irregular as they age. Some homeowners prune them to maintain a tighter shape. An American holly that has completely lost its shape can be heavily pruned, removing branches at their point of origin. Some prune hollies planted in groups into hedges. When shaping these shrubs, especially for hedges, do not cut lower branches shorter than higher ones, which would cause an inverted pyramid or vase-shape. Hollies that are narrower at the bottom than the top often lose these lower branches due to lack of sun; sometimes the whole shrub dies.

Surprisingly, December, when the plants are dormant, is the best time to prune holly. Actually you can lightly prune the tree almost any time during the year, but if you prune heavily after flowering or in summer, berry production is eliminated. Severe winter conditions, and sometimes soil deficiencies, may cause physiological problems such as sunscald and purple spot on the leaves of evergreen hollies. Winds blowing the spiny leaves together causes punctures in the foliage.

Spray holly leaves with anti-transpirant spray to protect surfaces from harsh winter sun and wind. Consider erecting a wind barrier of burlap or similar material (never use plastic!) around holly trees and shrubs that are exposed to prevailing winter winds. Spread winter mulch on the soil over the roots after the ground freezes.

Healthy American holly trees have few problems. If they do experience some stress, the insects that most often appear will be the leaf miner or scale. Leaf spot and mildew are two of the more common fungal diseases that will attack a stressed specimen.

The American holly has one more distinction probably worth mentioning. I have not taken the time to determine how many American native trees have deserved having a postage stamp published in their honor, but the American holly can boast its own. The leaves and berries were honored in a 32-cent issue in the fall of 1997. The Postal Service might be accused of taking advantage of the Christmas holidays to make a few extra bucks, but I think the American holly deserves the special attention.

Jeff Ball appears on NBC'S "Today" show as a gardening expert and writes online for yardener.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: THE NATIONAL CHAMP

American Holly

Location: 1-85 at Hugley, Chambers

County, Alabama

Circumference at 4.5 feet: 12 in.

Height: 76 ft.

Crown spread: 48 ft.

Total points: 213

Nominator: Jeff Abeny

The National Register of Big Trees is sponsored by The Davey Tree Expert Company

A favorite of the first president.

JEFF MEYER

The last day of George Washington's presidency was not a sad one for the former general. It was clear to everyone, including Washington's successor, John Adams, that Washington's heart was set on returning to his beloved Mount Vernon with Martha and the family. He had fulfilled his obligation to his country. His reward would be working the Virginia land he loved.

While it was Washington's duty to oversee the running of the plantation, it was perhaps his greatest joy to act as landscape architect and oversee the planting of trees and gardens. He had enlarged the main house at Mount Vernon and designed the rolling lawns in front of it to consititute a formal Bowling Green. He made certain it faced westward, the direction in which he was cetain the country was growing.

Along each side of the Bowling Green Washington planted long rows of trees, choosing each variety carefully and running serpentine paths in and out of the shade of those trees. This was more than decorative. Most nights after supper Washington and his honored guests would stroll the Bowling Green: it was the site of many discussions with leading politicians and thinkers of the day.

One tree that Washington loved was the American holly (Ilex opaca). Several holly trees that he planted in 1776 and 1785 remain in the Serpentine on both the south and the north sides.

In 1792 he established an area specifically for any and all kinds of plants fit for hedging, according to his journal entries. Dean Norton, horticulturist at Mount Vernon, reports that Washington had holly seed collected by the barrel full and sown in drills so they would create a full screen as they matured. This technique was used in several locations on Washington's Mansion House farm.

Keep in mind that in days gone by people assigned different, more significant, meanings to plants than they do today. A lot of things that we now explain scientifically seemed capricious or even evil to them, and they found protection where they could. For example, the holly was a holy tree to the ancients, considered potently protective. Holly leaves were granted powers over evil and witchcraft. Medieval lore urged unmarried women to tie a holly sprig to the bedpost to avoid being turned into a witch, and it was said that a young girl would dream of her future husband if she tied nine holly leaves in a three-cornered handkerchief and did not speak until dawn.

Native Americans used the leathery leaves in a healing tea for measles. Modern-day naturalist Euell Gibbons advocated holly-leaf tea to reduce fever.

But for Washington, besides creating a lovely hedge, holly spoke of Christmas and you haven't seen Christmas until you've seen one at Mount Vernon. According to British tradition holly could not be brought into the house before Christmas and had to be taken down by Twelfth Night to prevent misfortune.

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, everyone prepared for the splendid holiday, and Mount Vernon was no different. The plantation bedecked itself for the holiday: Candlelight and firelight flickered as cooking aromas filled rooms decked with greens and gifts for family, guests, and workers alike American holly, with its glossy mix of red berries and green leaves, fit cheerfully in the center of it all.

Jeff Meyer directs AMERICAN FORESTS' Famous & Historic Trees program. To learn more about or to order a George Washington American Holly or other historic tree 800/677-0727 www.Historictrees.org.