"Dr. Förster Hülse" in Kürten close to Enkeln

European holly

When this tree in Mittel-Enkeln near Kürten was named after its discoverer, the naturalist and dendrologist Dr. Hans Foerster, on 14 April 1914 in the presence of official representatives of the State Office for the Preservation of Natural Monuments, it was a milestone in the efforts to protect nature at the beginning of the 20th century.

As a naturalist, Dr. Foerster had measured and described 2,000 remarkable trees in the Bergisch and Märkisch region and recorded them in his book "Bäume in Berg und Mark" (Trees in Berg and Mark), all of which were placed under protection as natural monuments. They formed the basis for later lists of natural monuments.

More detailed research by Dr. Foerster revealed that the local pod tree is indigenous and was probably spared and left standing centuries ago when an earlier forest stand was cleared. Around the turn of the century, a pod tree with almost the same dimensions was felled within walking distance. The farmer used its wood to make scythe handles.

Dr. Foerster was particularly interested in the species Ilex. When he saw the dioecious tree for the first time in 1911, it was full of red berries. In the years that followed, it only bore male flowers during his visits.

“So there is no doubt that the tree had changed sex, the female pod tree had become male. Whether this is a rare exception or whether other old pod trees also undergo a change of sex must be determined by further, more precise observations, which, however, must be made on original specimens and not on planted ones."

The European holly is a striking sight. It is the only native deciduous tree that retains its green foliage all year round. Its leathery leaves have spiky tips, but these are only found in the lower part of the tree; further up they have smooth edges. (Protection against browsing). It grows as a shrub or tree. Its fragrant flowers are very popular with bees and its red berries with birds, which contribute to its spread.

The berries are slightly poisonous to humans, but were used as a remedy in the past. Its strong sprouting power in the root area is astonishing. In sparse forests, especially under beech trees, dense forests of pods form, which are a good hiding place for game and birds and have provided shelter for mountain people in troubled times.

Although the holly benefited from forest grazing in the 18th - 19th century, as the livestock driven into the forest largely spurned its leaves, it then suffered from the plundering of its green branches with the bright red berries for flower arrangements and wreaths and as a substitute for palm branches at Easter (Palm Sunday). The branches were a symbol of vitality and hope. In England, the "Holly" is still a popular decoration at Christmas. It was probably also a sacred tree for the Celts. The Indo-European root word "hul" can be found in all Western European languages for the holly; in Dutch: "hulst", in English "holly" and similar words in Welsh and Irish.

The European holly has been native to us since the end of the Ice Age and has spread with the beech in Atlantic Europe. It is the only species of its genus here. Its numerous relatives prefer tropical and subtropical areas. It was Tree of the Year 2021. In Germany, wild hollies have been protected since 1935.