Identify by feature
Shrub with spiny leaves: which one is it?
In Belgium and the Netherlands, a shrub or tree with evergreen leaves edged with spines is usually a holly; with pinnate leaves of spiny leaflets it is an Oregon grape, and with spiny leaves in opposite pairs a holly olive.
4 species with this feature
-
Holly Ilex aquifolium
Broadleaf tree
Alternate, evergreen, leathery and glossy dark green, 5–10 cm; wavy edge with sharp spines. Higher up the tree the leaves are often spineless.
NativePoisonous
-
Oregon grape Berberis aquifolium
Shrub
Alternate, pinnate with 5–9 glossy, spiny-toothed leaflets; often reddish in winter.
-
Holly olive Osmanthus heterophyllus
Shrub
Opposite, 3–6 cm, leathery and glossy dark green; young leaves with 1–4 pairs of spiny teeth, older leaves often untoothed.
-
Holm oak Quercus ilex
Broadleaf tree
Alternate, evergreen, 3–7 cm, oval to lance-shaped, untoothed or (especially on young trees) with spiny teeth; dark green above, greyish-white felted below. They stay on the tree for 2–3 years.
Tip: Holly often has spineless leaves high up in the shrub, and only female plants carry red berries. Take care: holly berries are poisonous.