Houx

Etymology

The term “houx” comes from the Francique hulis which also gave the verb “to scold”. The root is found in Dutch hulst .

The specific adjective aquifolium , borrowed by Carl von Linné from Pline, means literally “with thorny sheet” (of folium , sheet and acus , switches), while the generic name Ilex was the Latin name of the yeuse in reference to the aspect of the persistent foliage. According to Pierre Lieutaghi, aquifolium would be the deformation of acrifolium (of acer, acris , acute), term met at Caton in the form acrufolius to qualify agricultural tools.

Vernacular names and toponymy

Vernacular names: large houx, gréou, grifeuil, agrifous…

A planted place of houx is called a holly-plantation or a holly-grove. (In English, Hollywood also means wood of houx). In France, this name is frequent in toponymy to indicate communes and localities with various alternatives, Houssaye, Houssoye, Houssay, Housseras, Housset, Houssière, Oussières… Of acrifolium also derive the Aigrefeuille, Arfeuil, Arpheuilles…

Description

The common houx is a shrub with very slow growth, with bushy port, whose adult size is generally from four to six meters. Certain feet can form genuine trees. There exists in forest of Isle-Adam (Val-d'Oise) a 18 height m column-like houx. The houx can live up to hundred years and beyond that. Its bark is gray pale and smooth.

Its alternate sheets, simple, have a short petiole and a limb from 5 to 7 cm length, coriace, of oval general form, at the corrugated and thorny edge, sometimes smooth on the old individuals. With a dark brilliant green to their higher face, paler on their lower face, they are provided with sharp-edged spines. Certain varieties have the mixed foliage of white. These sheets generally persist three years.

It is a species Dioïque (with male individuals and females separate), one can nevertheless find individuals Monoïque S. the white flowers, of small size (6 mms diameter approximately), tetramers (4 petals, 4 sepals, 4 cheesecloths and ovary with 4 marks) are grouped into small Cyme S appearing with the armpit of the sheets about May-June. The petals are welded at the base (flowers gamopétales). Cheesecloths alternate with the petals and are welded at the base of the corolla. The female flowers carry staminodes, kinds of cheesecloths sterile, the ovary supère is formed by the meeting of 4 carpelles welded and carries a sessile mark to 4 lobes. The male flowers carry only cheesecloths. The feet females need at least a male foot in the surroundings to bear fruit.

The fruits, which appear only on the feet females, are small Drupe S spherical from 7 to 10 mms in diameter, of a bright red, sometimes yellows, with maturity, which contain four cores, enclosing a lignified seed. These fruits which mature at the end of the summer are toxic. They persist all the winter

Hard and homogeneous, rather heavy wood (density: 0,95), is of color white grisâtre, browning with the age.

Distribution

This species is native moderate areas of the old world:

North Africa, the Tunisia to the Morocco,
Europe Western and southernmost, of the the United Kingdom and the Portugal to the Albania and the Romania,
Occidental Asia, of the Turkey the Iran.

It was naturalized in other continents: North America, Australia… where she is sometimes regarded as a invading Plante.

It is a species of underwood, which believes in plain and mountain, up to 1.500 m of altitude even more in the southernmost areas of its surface of expansion. One especially finds it in acid grounds, rather in fresh stations, but also likes oneself in the grounds limestones provided that the relative humidity of the air is sufficient. Do not support the too cold situations.

The houx when it is in favorable situation marcotte easily and can become invading. It rejects stock also well.

In France, the houx is present in the near total of the country. Remarkable settlements exist in several southernmost sites, in particular in the Forêt of Stella in Haute-Corse, the Forêt of Valbonne in the Gard, the Massif of Caroux (Herault) and in the Massif of the Holy-Balsam (Var).

Properties

The houx contains in its foliage like in the fruits of the Alcaloïde S poisons, in particular of the illicine. The consumption of the fruits is likely to involve vomiting and digestive disorders, even if the quantity is more important central nervous system disorders. It should be taken care that the young children are not tempted to eat these fruits often present in the houses during the festivals of end of the year.

However, this plant was employed formerly in popular medicine, so much by external way for its resolvent capacity (in the form of cataplasms of crushed sheets fraiches) or by internal way for its febrifuge capacity (in the form of decoction of sheets or maceration in wine). In certain areas of Europe, like Alsace, of white alcohol is produced starting from fermented and distilled fruits.

Enemies of the houx

Few insects attack the houx. Among the principal ravageurs, one can quote:

the Fly of the houx ( Phytomyza ilicis Curtis, Agromyzidae ). This dipterous tiny, pledged with the houx, is a “minor” insect, whose larva drills galleries in the limb of the sheets without however causing very important damage.
the Plant louse of the houx ( Aphus ilicis , Kaltenbach, Aphididae ). This plant louse noirâtre, strictly pledged with the houx especially attacks the starts-up and young sheets which it gives up when they become too coriaces.
the Tortrix of the cranberries ( Rhopobota naevana , Hübner, Tortricidae ). This butterfly is especially harmful by its caterpillar S with the one centimetre length black head which devours the young sheets of various shrubs, of which, in addition to the houx, the Myrtille S and Canneberge S, then build nests by assembling young sheets with silk wire.

Use

Decorative plant

The houx is very often cultivated in the gardens for its decorative qualities. It is a plant which supports the shaded or semi-shaded situations very well, the varieties with mixed foliage however support very well the large sun. It is a relatively rustic plant which can support specific frosts until - 15 ° C. However some cultivars are less rustic. Its multiplication is done mainly either by sowing, or by propagation by cutting with the assistance of hormones or by Clerc's Office. Its many varieties are generally reproduced by vegetative way (clones) and exist often only in their male or female form. Its compact port and its persistent foliage make it possible to also employ it in the topiary Art. The branches of houx bearing fruits are sold by the florists like Christmas decoration. They are sometimes used also at the time of the festival of the Branches.

It is an also useful species to form hedges semi-defensives.

The houx has few enemies in culture. It can be prone to attacks of Puceron S or cochineal S on the foliage.

Cultivars and hybrids

Ilex aquifolium , the houx common

“Alaska”, with the compact vegetation, green dark, fruits bright red, clone female
“Amber”, with the whole sheets, elliptic, green means, and with the yellow fruits
“Albomarginata”, with the sheets bordered of white
“Angustifolia”, with the narrow and pointed sheets
“Aureomarginata”, with the sheets bordered of white
“Aurifodina”, with the stems crimsons, very fruit-bearing clone female
“Ferox”, the houx hedgehog, with the very thorny sheets (it is a male clone)
“Bacciflava”, with the yellow fruits, forms which meets in a natural state
“Crassifolia”, with the starts-up porpres, very slow growth
“Contracted”, with the whole sheets, twisted, male clone
“Contracted aureopicta”, similar to the precedent, with the yellow center of the sheets
“Ferox”, the houx hedgehog, with the very thorny sheets (it is a male clone)
“Ferox argentea”, similar to the precedent but sheets to silver plated edge, shrub with slower growth
“Pendula”, with whining port, falling down to the ground (clone female)
“Pyramidalis”, with port drawn up and the whole elliptic sheets
“Pyramidalis aureomarginata”, with the sheets elliptic, narrow, bordered of yellow, without spines, very fruit-bearing

Ilex × altaclerensis , varieties of which some with mixed sheets, resulting from an hybrid Ilex aquifolium X Ilex perado
Ilex × meserveae , series of cultivars created in the United States starting from hybrids of Ilex aquifolium (houx of Europe) and of Ilex rugosa (houx of the north of Japan): vigorous, very decorative, with compact vegetation and very fruit-bearing plants

etc

Other uses

the Bois of houx is a wood little running because it is rare that one cuts well formed trees. It is a wood nevertheless appreciated model makers, inlayers and turners, in particular for the manufacture of the white parts of the sets of failures. It is dense, with fine grain and of color very white and relatively easy to work. The most famous object out of wooden of houx is the cane of walk of Goethe, visible with the museum of Weimar.

the internal bark of the houx was used to prepare the Glu, substance viscous employee to trap the birds.

the houx, sometimes associated with the Beech that one plessait, was used in certain areas as France to carry out naturally insuperable Haie S of fence by the Bétail.

Thanks to its persistent fruits during the winter, the houx is an invaluable species for certain species of birds which nourish themselves some, like the blackbirds and the thrushes. Its form buissonnante is interesting also to form a cover with game in wood.

the floral elixir prepared starting from the flowers of the houx is known under anglophone name Holly. The method of preparation is ebullized floral water. This elixir is used for réharmoniser the negative frames of mind such hatred, the jealousy, the ill will, the desire, suspicion, cupidity, revenge.

Symbolic system and mythology

Since mists of time, the houx is the symbol of religious holidays or pagan.

The symbol of Christmas

The branches of houx with their red bays are largely used in decoration at the time of the festivals of Christmas.

For the Christians, the houx is indeed specifically associated with the birth of the Jesus Child. The king Hérode seeking to massacre all the Jewish new-born babies to eliminate that which one announced like the King of the Jews, Marie, Joseph and their child fled towards the Egypt.

With the approach of a troop of soldiers, they hid in a bush of houx, which, in a miraculous dash, extended its branches to dissimulate the Holy Family behind her thick thorny foliage.

Saved, Marie blesses the bush of houx and wished that there remain always green to remember it its protection and like symbol immortality.

Language of the flowers

In the language of the flowers and the plants, the houx is the symbol of insensitivity.

Others

the family of Yves Joseph de Kerguelen de Trémarec, discoverer of the islands Kerguelen, had for emblem the green houx and a currency in all times . Besides the name Kerguelen refers into Breton to a planted place of houx ( = Kelenn into Breton ).
In France, a collection of houx, including/understanding 60 species and several hundreds of varieties, is managed by the academy of Ilex within the framework of the Arboretum of Close to Culands located at Meung-sur-Loire (Loiret). This collection was recognized like national collection in 1991 by the Conservatoire of the specialized vegetable collections (CCVS).
the Butcher's-broom, or fragon ( Ruscus aculeatus ) is a sub-shrub of the family of the Liliacée S.

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