Holly can tolerate shade. The Holly has a simple leaf. The leaf margin has spines, especially on young plants. The leaves are shiny/glossy and are evergreen. They can be quite stiff with an almost leathery texture. The leaf is dark green on the top / upper surface, paler on the lower surface.

Identify holly bushes by looking at various parts of the plant. Common identification markings can be found in the leaf structure, berries, blossoms, shape and size of the plant. Certain holly bushes also bloom during specific seasons. Identify the type of holly bush by the leaves.

Holly, or Ilex, is a plant genus made up of many hundreds of species. Depending on the species, holly can be evergreen or can be a deciduous holly. People can easily recognize this plant with its green leaves with bright red berries – but there is a lot of variety within the genus, too.