Holly, ivy, white-berried mistletoe and vibrant ... Here are just a few of the legends surrounding our most popular Christmas plants. Holly This spiny shrub with scarlet red berries is commonly ...

The ilex or holly, and the ivy, both evergreen plants are traditional Christmas symbols: the holly for part of the same reason as the Glastonbury Rose is, because it represents the Crown of Thorns ...

Holly and ivy are traditional rivals in the forest, representing masculine and feminine traits respectively, and they have been customary Christmas decorations since the late medieval period.