SimplePlant

Aquifoliaceae

English holly

Ilex aquifolium L.

Family
Aquifoliaceae
Genus
Ilex

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English holly (Ilex aquifolium)
FlowerPhoto: Tom Erler, CC0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (61)
Arabic
بهشية مائية الأوراق
Aragonese
Cardonera
Armenian
Սղոցի սովորական
arz
بهشيه مائية الاوراق
Asturian
Abedul, Briscu, Carrascu, Sardoniella, Sardón, Xardu, Xardón, Acebu
Azerbaijani
Şişyarpaq şümşə
Basque
Gorosti
Belarusian
Падуб востралісны
Breton
Kelenn
Bulgarian
Бодливолистен джел
Cantonese
Houx
Catalan
Grèvol, Agrifoli, Arbre de mal gruit, Arbre de visc, Boix grèvol, Coscoll de vesc
Chinese
欧洲冬青, 歐洲冬青, 枸骨叶冬青, 刺叶枸骨叶冬青, 刺葉枸骨葉冬青
Corsican
Caracutu
Croatian
Božika, Božikovina
Czech
Cesmína ostrolistá, Cesmína obecná
Danish
Almindelig Kristtorn
Dutch
Hulst
English
English holly, Holly, Christmas holly, Common holly, European holly
Esperanto
Ordinara ilekso
Estonian
Teravalehine iileks
Finnish
Orjanlaakeri, Euroopanorjanlaakeri, Piikkipaatsama
French
Houx
Galician
Acivro, Acevo, Acevro, Acivo, Xardón
German
Europäische Stechpalme, Stechpalme, Christpalme, Gemeine Stechpalme, Gewöhnliche Stechpalme, Hulstbaum, Hülse, Stachelblattstrauch
Hebrew
צינית אירופאית
Hungarian
Közönséges magyal
Icelandic
Kristþyrnir
Igbo
Common holly, English holly, European holly, Holly
Indonesian
Pasir-pasir Eropa
io
Ilexo
Italian
Agrifogli, Agrifoglio
Japanese
セイヨウヒイラギ, セイヨウヒイラギモチ, ホリー, 西洋ヒイラギ, 西洋柊
kab
Iɣsel
li
Huls
Lithuanian
Dygialapis bugienis
lmo
Scanfòi
Luxembourgish
Houx, Hu, Walddëchtel
Macedonian
Божиковина, Остролисна божиковина
mzn
ورگ تلی
Norwegian Bokmål
Kristtorn
Norwegian Nynorsk
Kristtorn, Beinved
nrm
Housse
Occitan
Grefol
os
Цыргъсыф цхъори
Persian
خاس کریسمس
Polish
Ostrokrzew kolczasty
Portuguese
Azevinho
Quechua
Asiwu, Acebo, Asiw
Russian
Падуб остролистный, Падуб обыкновенный
sc
Olostriche
Serbian
Зеленика
Slovak
Cezmína ostrolistá
Slovenian
Navadna bodika
Spanish
Acebeo, Acebo cerezo, Acebo mallorquin, Acebo mallorquín, Alcebo, Alebro, Cebor, Crevol
stq
Dulle-Huunde
Swedish
Järnek, Kristtorn
Ukrainian
Падуб гостролистовий
Walloon
Hoûssea
Welsh
Celyn, Celynen, Celynnen, Y gelynen, Y Gelynnen
zea
'Ulst, Ulst

Synonyms

  • Aquifolium croceum Raf.
  • Aquifolium ferox Mill. ex Raf.
  • Aquifolium heterophyllum Raf.
  • Aquifolium ilex Scop.
  • Aquifolium lanceolatum Raf.
  • Aquifolium planifolium Raf.
  • Aquifolium spinosum Lam.
  • Aquifolium undulatum Raf.
  • Aquifolium vulgare St.-Lag.
  • Ilex aquifolium f. aureopicta (Loudon) Geerinck
  • Ilex aquifolium f. frivaldskyana Loes.
  • Ilex aquifolium var. barcinonae Pau
  • Ilex aquifolium var. crassifolia Aiton
  • Ilex aquifolium var. ferox Aiton
  • Ilex aquifolium var. heterophylla Aiton
  • Ilex aquifolium var. recurva Aiton
  • Ilex balearica Desf.
  • Ilex camelliifolia Henry
  • Ilex chrysocarpa Wender.
  • Ilex ciliata hort. ex Koehne
  • Ilex citriocarpa Murr
  • Ilex crassifolia Aiton ex Steud.
  • Ilex echinata Mill.
  • Ilex ferox Ait. ex Steud.
  • Ilex fischeri hort. ex Carrière
  • Ilex heterophylla G.Don
  • Ilex nigricans Henry
  • Ilex sempervirens Salisb.

Flowers

In flower
April to May (from 509 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Shrub, Tree
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

More in Ilex

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.