Holly (Ilex aquifolium) has meant something special to people at this time of year for centuries. The Celts and Romans revered it because they believed it must have magical properties to keep the leaves lush and green in winter. They would bring holly and other evergreens inside to decorate their homes, thereby banishing evil spirits and ensuring the return of spring. In Christianity, the holly was adopted as a symbol of Christ’s crown of thorns and the scarlet berries his blood, its evergreen nature representing life after death.

Holly is a familiar sight in woodlands and hedgerows throughout the UK and beyond, across Europe, North Africa and western Asia. Trees can grow to a height of 15 metres and live for as long as 300 years! You’ve probably noticed that the dark green, glossy leaves are not always prickly - young trees and saplings do have very spiky leaves, but those on older, taller hollies tend to be smoother, especially in the higher branches. This makes them the perfect meal for any hungry deer who can reach them. But holly trees can react to this by producing fresh leaves with the prickles switched back on if the nibbling gets too much!

Holly is dioecious (pronounced ‘dye-EE-shuss’), which means that trees have either male flowers which produce pollen, or female flowers which produce ovules – these are structures that become seeds after pollination. When they blossom in spring, both sexes of flower have four tiny white petals and produce plenty of nectar to entice bees and other pollinating insects.

The waxy coating on holly leaves is the trademark of leafy evergreens: it protects them against moisture loss (through evaporation) and cell damage when the temperature drops below freezing. This means they can go on photosynthesising even during the winter, providing the tree with a continual source of energy. Old leaves are shed and replaced by new ones throughout the year, which is more energy efficient than having to grow a whole new set of leaves every spring like deciduous trees.

Another traditional favourite for mid-winter greenery is, of course, ivy (Hedera helix). It’s a familiar sight throughout the year growing up trees, climbing over walls and scrambling along the ground. There is a misconception that ivy weakens trees, but it is not a parasite. It will always have its own root system firmly in the soil and simply climbs its host to reach more sunlight. Ivy stems have specialised hairs which reach into cracks and crevices and secrete a gluey substance, enabling the plant to attach itself to the surface of its host. Research by English Heritage has shown that in some cases, ivy can help preserve stonework on old buildings.  

Did you know there are two kinds of ivy in Somerset?

There is common ivy (Hedera helix), which can be found throughout the UK, and there is Atlantic ivy (Hedera hibernica) which is found mostly in the west of Britain and Ireland.

The leaves of common ivy have 3 to 5 lobes, although the leaves of older stems are less defined and more oval or heart shaped. Atlantic ivy leaves have 5 to 7 lobes. Also, the flowers of common ivy are bigger and greener than those of Atlantic ivy, and produce larger, glossier fruits – but you might need to compare them side by side to see the difference! 

Star of a zillion Christmas cards, nothing evokes that festive feeling quite like the robin! Robins (Erithacus rubecula) are common in farmland and woodland, and a familiar sight in urban settings – any busy gardener can expect to have one as their shadow, fearlessly hopping close by in case a worm or some other tasty bug is unearthed from the soil! 

But what is the connection with Christmas? Legend has it that back in Victorian times, when the tradition of sending Christmas cards really got started, postmen were often referred to as 'robin' on account of their red uniform. Charmed by this idea, artists began to illustrate cards depicting the little bird itself delivering the Christmas post, and the image of the robin has been spreading Christmas cheer ever since!

Robins are formidable little characters, their beautiful and distinctive song is beloved by many of us, but it's a reminder to other robins that this is their patch! They will chase off any intruders and have even been known to fight to the death to defend it! 

While many robins spend their lives within 5km of the same location, plenty of them, especially females, prefer to spend the winter in southern Europe where the weather is warmer and food more plentiful. At the same time, our remaining birds are joined by migrants from Scandinavia, Russia and northern Europe, who are escaping the harsher winters up north.

The vanishing autumn leaves reveal another evergreen associated with the season - mistletoe! Did you know that there are over 900 species of mistletoe around the world?! So it's not surprising that there are legends associated with this little plant in many different cultures. Here in the British Isles, our singular species of mistletoe (Viscum album) has long been associated with love, according to Norse tradition, and the custom of hanging it over a doorway dates back to the Celts. However, the idea of ‘kissing under the mistletoe’ was made fashionable in the 19^th Century by Charles Dickens when he described characters in his story ‘The Pickwick Papers’ kissing under a conveniently placed sprig! 

Mistletoe grows in round clumps high in the canopy of broadleaved trees, particularly apple, poplar and hawthorn. It needs plenty of light, which may be why it’s a familiar sight in Somerset’s apple orchards. Mistletoe is partly parasitic, which means it takes some nourishment from its host tree, in this case water and minerals. This won't kill the tree, although it can be weakened if it's supporting too many clusters of mistletoe. As an evergreen, mistletoe also manufactures energy for itself by photosynthesis. 

The white waxy berries are a favourite meal for black caps (Sylvia atricapilla) in winter and the possessive mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus)! In fact, the consensus is that this is how the bird got its name. Redwings (Turdus iliacus) and fieldfares (Turdus pilaris) also enjoy them if they get the chance! 

If you’ve ever crushed a mistletoe berry, you’ll know it contains a very sticky substance. This is probably a good moment to tell you that mistletoe - berries, leaves and all, is poisonous to humans!  So, it’s best to keep it out of the reach of children and if you do squish a berry, wash your hands! 

The sticky stuff is mistletoe’s strategy for dispersing seed. When birds eat the berries, they poop out the seeds or wipe their sticky beaks on the surrounding branches. Either way, the sticky residue attaches the seed to the bark and hardens to seal it in place. The seed then germinates, pushing new roots into its host tree to feed.