Why Is Holly Prickly

Festive trees make spiny leaves to ward off nibblers. … Hollies, like other plants, can make different types of leaves at the same time. This is called heterophylly. Out of the 40 holly trees they studied, 39 trees displayed different kinds of leaves, both prickly and smooth.

Is all holly prickly?

Indeed most garden holly seems to be spiny all over in my own experience of it. It is only where holly is growing as a native and established plant that these smooth leaves seem to be found. And when they are, as in the hedges of Lymington, they are often found alongside spiny leaves, and at various heights.

Does holly have thorns?

Glossy Leaves Few or No Spines While hollies are traditionally thought of as having spiny leaves, there are a few species that bear smooth or only lightly-spiny leaves. … American spineless holly (Ilex opaca) actually has spines, but they are small. In other ways it resembles the traditional hollies.