Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines: Ilex, Holly

judsoncarroll4

https://judsoncarroll.substack.com/p/medicinal-shrubs-and-woody-vines-c36

Torey

Very interesting topic. I wan't aware that the leaves could be used as a febrifuge.

We don't have any native species here in BC but English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) was widely planted and has now become listed as an invasive species in the southern coastal region of BC and parts of Vancouver Island. I see there is another cultivar, Golden Holly, that also may become an issue as there are specimens cropping up in areas other than gardens.

It won't grow here for me. Too far north and too dry. Although, a few years ago, a local garden centre had a hardy holly for sale. I bought two of them and they were the first things that the deer ate that year. I hadn't expected that with the hard, prickly leaves but apparently the deer thought they were a delicacy. So they didn't survive.

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/924396#Comment_924396

NC is known for pines, hollies, dogwoods, azaleas and rhododendron, so it is a very common one for me which is great because it is such a good carving wood.