EVERY DECEMBER, HOLLY appears on cards, wreaths and doorways across Ireland — but why this tree?

And what makes cuileann, as it’s known in Irish (and therefor ‘Cullen’ in names of people and places) as it’s known in Irish, so deeply tied to both our Christmas traditions and our wildlife?

The answer lies in a mix of ecology, ancient folklore, and a surprising amount of mythic drama.

Holly’s glossy evergreen leaves help wildlife through the toughest months.

When its tiny white flowers bloom from May to August, they feed bees and pollinators. By autumn these become the familiar bright red berries — a crucial winter food source for Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Redwings, Fieldfares, Mistle Thrushes, Blackcaps and even the occasional Waxwing.

Sheltered among the holly’s sharp branches, Wrens, Dunnocks, and Robins build their nests, safely hidden from predators. Beneath them, Hedgehogs hibernate in the dry carpet of fallen leaves. In spring, the Holly Blue butterfly relies on the tree’s flower buds to nourish its caterpillars.

Several moths—such as the yellow-barred brindle, double-striped pug, and holly tortrix—also feed on holly foliage. The leaves further sustain the larvae of the holly leaf miner fly, which leave behind their characteristic winding “mines” as they tunnel through the leaf tissue.

Holly doesn’t just look like Christmas — it keeps nature going when almost everything else has shut down.

Most of us learned that holly has spiny leaves low........

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