Ilex is a national key protected plant. Ilex belongs to Ilex family and is widely distributed in Asia, Europe, northern Africa, North America and South America. Evergreen trees, with gray or light gray bark, longitudinal grooves, and light green twigs, glabrous. The leaves are thin and leathery, long and narrow, elliptic or lanceolate, the top is gradually pointed, the base is cuneate, the edge is light circular serrated, and it is reddish brown and shiny after drying. The petals are purplish red or lilac and roll outward. The fruit is oval or nearly spherical, dark red when mature.
Growth habit:
Ilex is a subtropical tree species, which likes warm climate and has certain cold resistance. It is suitable for fertile, moist and well drained acid soil. It is relatively resistant to damp, has strong germination power, and is resistant to trimming. Strong resistance to carbon dioxide. It often grows in the hillside miscellaneous forest, in the evergreen broad-leaved forest on the hillside at an altitude of 500-1000 meters, and in the forest edge.
At the same time, holly is also suitable for solitary planting on the lawn, in rows on both sides of the gate, the wall, and the garden road, or scattered on the rocks and hills. Holly is often dwarfed by old piles or growth inhibition, and used to make bonsai.