Male Holly Help Please

[farmer rod]

Can anyone guide me as to how to tell male holly apart from female holly. Ive looked at a fair bit, those bits with berries on are obviously female, but I suspect some of those without berries have just had the berries nicked by the pigeons.

 

All help gratefully received.

[Starscream]

You'll have to wait for the flowers. It's very difficult to see the difference unless they have berries then you know it's a female, for example. The stamen on the male flower is far more distinguished and that's the only real way of telling. The RHS website or google might have some more info for you, but I'm sure it's the flowers that set a male and female Ilex (Holly) apart. Good luck

[Macca]

Generally the males urinate standing up!

[Starscream]

Hahaha.. You joker!!!

[Gray git]

The males have pricklS the female don't ;-)

 

Flowers like said is about the only way to be sure, any particular reason you need to know or just an interest of yours?

[se7enthdevil]

even if the berries have been nicked by birds there should still be some attachments on the twigs so you could look for them.

[farmer rod]

The males have pricklS the female don't ;-)

 

Flowers like said is about the only way to be sure, any particular reason you need to know or just an interest of yours?

 

Thanks for all the replies, our cattle this year have a dose of ringworm going through, (it is a fungal infection resulting in scabby circles which apart from being an irritation, are not economically treatable, or not treatable once established) It doesnt look good, and it can be passed to humans.

 

Someone told me that hanging holly in the shed would clear it up. I googled it and guess what, every second result from google recommends the holly, but not just holly, male holly.

 

Normally I would want to know why something works or doesnt work, but on this occasion i am prepared to just give it a go, so it looks all Christmassy in the cattle shed, but I was aware whilst hanging up my bunches,I couldnt tell the male from the female.

 

Would they be on the same tree, or are there male and female trees?

[Daniël Bos]

At home (in the Netherlands) holly is used in sheep sheds to combat orf, most people that have tried it swear by it.

Never heard of specifically male though?

[One Buck]

Thanks for all the replies, our cattle this year have a dose of ringworm going through, (it is a fungal infection resulting in scabby circles which apart from being an irritation, are not economically treatable, or not treatable once established) It doesnt look good, and it can be passed to humans.

 

Someone told me that hanging holly in the shed would clear it up. I googled it and guess what, every second result from google recommends the holly, but not just holly, male holly.

 

Normally I would want to know why something works or doesnt work, but on this occasion i am prepared to just give it a go, so it looks all Christmassy in the cattle shed, but I was aware whilst hanging up my bunches,I couldnt tell the male from the female.

 

Would they be on the same tree, or are there male and female trees?

 

Definitely separate male and female trees. As mentioned, no way to tell them apart other than flowers/berries.

[Gray git]

Known as asexual gymnosperm species if I can remember back to my uni days.