Grow a Holly Tree to Feed the Birds!

The holly tree is a beautiful, sturdy tree that can reach 50 feet in height and last for several centuries. The female holly tree will grow berries that many different types of birds like to eat. When you plant this tree you help nature by giving the birds a wonderful food source that will help them thrive.

The holly tree will also provide shelter for the birds. The prickly leaves of the tree keep predators at bay.

Planting Tips for Holly Trees

Holly tree seedlings are available for purchase in gardening stores or online. This popular tree with its bright red berries adds a dash of color to the winter yard.

Plant a holly tree in an area where it has a lot of room to grow. Do not plant it where people will pass by frequently. The holly tree has sharp prickles on the ends and sides of the leaves. Thus the tree should be in a remote area of the yard that people do not frequent.

Holly Trees are Easy to Care For

The holly tree grows steadily and does not require much care other than fertilizing about once a year. This tree is often used to line the perimeter of the yard or to fill in a bare corner spot. The American holly tree has shiny, all green leaves. The English holly has a white rim around the outer border of the leaves.

To ensure that the female holly tree develops berries, plant both a male and female holly tree. This is necessary because each tree only produces male or female flowers. The two trees should be planted within 100 yards of each other to ensure pollination by the bees, notes The Garden Helper. Or you could plant the tree in an area where other holly trees are located.

Grow a Holly Tree from Seed

The seeds of the holly tree are in the red berries. It is easy to pick the berries, or find them on the ground under the tree. The holly tree's berries are ripe during the late winter months. Then cut away the fruit from the seeds to get ready to plant them in soil outside or in a pot inside in a cool area such as the refrigerator or the garage. Use sandy soil and keep it moist. It may take over a year or two before the holly seeds sprout.

Use Holly Tree as Holiday Décor

When you have a large holly tree in the yard, as I did growing up, it is easy to decorate for the holidays. Holly trees have so many branches that a few won't be missed and can be cut and brought inside at the holidays.

You can stick some branch bottoms behind the curtain rod so the branches fan out across the top of the window. The green leaves and red berries add a very festive holiday look to the room.

Another idea is to use a large vase to hold some holly branches. This gives a table and old fashioned Christmas look.

You may also want to make a decoration with to hang on the outside of a window at the holidays. Gather several branches of holly. You may wish to spray paint some of the branches gold or silver. Then tie the branches together at the top with a big red, gold, or silver bow. This creates a beautiful holiday decoration to hang outside.

Sources:

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/holly.html

http://www.sierrapotomac.org/W_Needham/AmericanHolly_071218.htm