Aquifoliaceae
English holly
Ilex aquifolium
- Family
- Aquifoliaceae
- Genus
- Ilex
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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

FlowerPhoto: Tom Erler, CC0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: ahabo, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Sarah Adamson, CC0, from iNaturalist 
LeavesPhoto: Kieran Roy Powell, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: flathat, CC0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: AnRo0002, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Stéphane HENRY, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Sdjurovic, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Mario Molina, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Sdjurovic, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Else Nolden, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
More in Ilex
- Yerba mateIlex paraguariensisAquifoliaceae
- Japanese hollyIlex crenataAquifoliaceae
- Ilex guayusaAquifoliaceae
- American hollyIlex opacaAquifoliaceae
- Kurogane hollyIlex rotundaAquifoliaceae
- Small-leaved hollyIlex canariensisAquifoliaceae
- YauponIlex vomitoriaAquifoliaceae
- Ilex colchicaAquifoliaceae
- Chinese hollyIlex cornutaAquifoliaceae
- African hollyIlex mitisAquifoliaceae
- Common winterberryIlex verticillataAquifoliaceae
- Elegance female hollyIlex integraAquifoliaceae
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.