COLUMNIST: SCOTT GALLOWAY
During the winter, our native holly, known botanically as Ilex aquifolium, reveals itself to be a valuable plant for providing winter interest with its glossy green leaves and bright red berries.
A highly attractive evergreen feature in the garden and wider landscape, an evergreen holly tree can reach up to 15m (49ft) in height, providing shelter from the elements for a great many species, especially when pruned into a hedgerow. Left alone, holly trees will naturally grow tall and straggly until their branches cascade like a waterfall around the grey-brown trunk to create a circular bower.
For our Celtic ancestors, holly was observed to be almost unchanging, its evergreen foliage seen as a symbol of immortality. It was known as Tinne and was associated with the strong masculine energy that contains the potent life force of nature, deeply connected to the ancient, sacred rites of birth and reincarnation.
It was also believed to harbour faeries, due to its close connection to the faerie realm. The Druids are said to have encouraged the Celtic people to bring branches indoors to provide shelter for these magical beings, who would reside in the home until the holly was removed in January. This tradition has evolved today in the form of wreaths and swags to mark the festival of Christmas. The bright leaves and berries were also said to lift the spirits of the inhabitants during the darkest months of the year.
In ancient times, the island of Britain is said to have once been guarded by a great giant called Gogmagog. A wild creature clad in the leaves and branches of many of our native trees, wielding an enormous club of holly, as he roamed the lands in search of his enemies. He is believed to be the last of the giants in Britain and a physical representation of the procreative force, of masculine strength, and sexual energy. Over time, this primeval creature evolved to become known as the Holly God and then the Holly King, covered in glossy holly leaves and carrying a club made from the trunk of the tree.
The Holly King is twinned with the Oak King. Representing two halves of the year, together they form the God of Nature. Following the sacrifice of the Oak King on the midsummer fires, the Holly King ascends the throne in a ritual to bring forth our guide in the darkness, the light that will carry us through the dark half of the year.
On the Winter Solstice, the Holly King is sacrificed to awaken the Oak King from his slumber and bring forth the light half of the year. Together they are representative of the never-ending cycle of life: of birth, death, and re-birth.
Both forms are said to make love to the Earth Goddess, replenishing the land and improving her fertility. In the celebration of the Old Nordic festival of Yuletide, holly represented the phallus and the masculine energy of the Sun God, waiting receptively for the embracing goddess to bring forth new life in the coming seasons. This female energy was represented by Ivy - her entwining, embracing, evergreen stems wrapping themselves around her host, following the cycles of the moon.
Traditionally at Yuletide, a boy would dress up in holly and a girl in Ivy and they would parade through the streets holding hands, symbols of the God and Goddess of Nature. Together they are the life giving, pro-creative force.
As a tree steeped in lore and mystery, holly carries many lessons for us today. As a tree almost invulnerable to the passage of time and seasonal change, it is said to provide emotional regulation so we can reach reasoned conclusions and make informed decisions. It brings our trauma to the surface and invites us to examine the pain in our past and learn to accept it.
As the tree most associated with unconditional love, it plays an important role in reminding us of the need to show compassion, kindness, and love in our relationships. Ultimately, it teaches us that like the Holly King, we have to sacrifice ourselves in order to gain something of much greater value.
Scott Galloway is a Glasgow based horticulturist currently working in biodiversity policy development in local government. He has worked in horticulture for over 6 years in various roles across the National Trust for Scotland, Royal Horticultural Society, and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Scott is a researcher of Bergenia and has built a collection of more than 150 plants, from which he produced the first ever phylogeny of the genus in 2023. He is now expanding his work to include the study of another garden favourite, Rodgersia, and is interested in growing a wide range of Himalayan, Central and East Asian plants. He is also specialises in herb growing, and has recently leased a horticultural facility from which he hopes to propagate some of the many interesting and unusual plants in his collection.
Follow Scott on Instagram for more chat and watch his bergenia collection grow on @thebergenlist!