Fruits of Horned Hollies in Docheong-ri, BuanThis photo shows fruits of horned hollies in Docheong-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun.
Flowers of Horned Hollies in Docheong-ri, BuanThis photo shows flowers of horned hollies in Docheong-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun.
Colony of Horned Hollies in Docheong-ri, BuanThis is a view of the Colony of Horned Hollies in Docheong-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun. It was designated as Natural Monument No. 122.
A colony of horned holly trees in Docheong-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
Summary
The horned holly is an evergreen shrub that usually grows in the warm climate along the southern coast of Jeollanam-do or on Jeju Island, although it has spread north to Byeonsan-bando. Byeonsan-bando is the northern limit for the natural distribution of horned holly trees. The holly colony in Docheong-ri, Buan-gun is protected as Natural Monument No. 122 by Buan County.
Biological Characteristics
A horned holly is an evergreen broad-leaved tree of the Aquifoliaceae plant family. It can reach a height of 3 to 4 meters and has many branches originating from the stem. Its glossy, leathery leaves measure up to 5 to 7 centimeters in length, and are dark green on the front face and yellowish green on the rear; the edges of the leaves are saw-toothed, hence the plant’s nickname of “tiger’s toenails.” In Byeonsan, it is also called the “tiger’s backscratcher tree” after a local legend in which a tiger from Jirisan Mountain came to Byeonsan and scratched its back with a horned holly. A horned holly is dioecious, i.e. its flowers bloom between April and May. The flowers are a milky white color and exude a pleasant fragrance, attracting many bees and butterflies. The flowers produce dark green berries (diameter: 0.8~1cm), which turn red around September to October, and remain on the tree until as late as May. The horned holly’s beautiful berries and dark leaves create a fantastic scene in snowy winter.
Natural Environment
Due to climatic change, the horned holly typically found in the warmer southern zone has gradually spread northwards. According to the report titled Research on Natural Territories of Species in the Korean Peninsula, which concerns plant growth and distribution in the country over the 60 years from 1941 to 2000, announced by National Institute of Biological Resources under the Ministry of Environment on December 23, 2009, the northernmost boundary of the horned holly’s habitat was 35°37′ in Byeonsan, Jeollabuk-do in 1941, but it has since expanded northwards to 36°07′ in Eocheong, Jeollabuk-do.
Matters related to Historical / Lifestyle and Folklore
1. Horned Holly and Christmas The name “horned holly” derives from the English word “holy.” The holly found in Europe is called “English holly,” in America “American holly” and in China “Chinese holly.” In the West, the holly symbolizes Christmas. People customarily make a Christmas tree or wreath out of holly branches to decorate their homes, while images of holly leaves and fruits with a silver bell are printed on Christmas cards. To Christians, horned holly is a very sacred and meaningful tree. The thorny leaves of the holly symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ on Golgotha, or the suffering of Jesus, while its red berries serve as a reminder of the precious blood shed by Jesus. The milky white berries symbolize the birth of Jesus, the bitter taste of the bark the ordeal of Jesus. As such, it would not be overstatement to say that the horned holly is the tree of Jesus. According to one legend, three beautiful birds used their little beaks to remove the thorns from Jesus’s flesh. These small birds were robins, whose breast was red because of its association with Christ’s crucifixion. The robin feeds on holly berries. Christians henceforth deemed the holly berries to be sacred and precious and started the tradition of using hollies to celebrate Christmas. 2. Horned hollies in folklores and symbols In the East and the West, the horned holly is associated with shamanistic symbolism. Europeans believed that the horned holly could ward off evil spirits and thus hung tree branches around their house or stable. In England, a walking stick made from the wood of the horned holly tree could be used to drive away ferocious beasts and diseased dogs or prevent other dangers. Holly walking sticks came to be known as the best and most practical ones according to the tradition. In some parts of Korea, there used to be a tradition of driving away evil spirits by hanging holly leaves strewn with the heads of sardines above the front door of a house on the first day of the lunar month of February or when plague was rife. This practice originated from a legend that a devil would take the lives of women and children, which could only be prevented if the eye of a sardine watched out for the devil and a holly thorn pierced the devil’s eye. In Japan, the day before the arrival of spring, people observed the custom of decorating their doors with holly leaves to prevent goblins from entering their homes. This custom is similar to the one practiced in the Jeolla region, where local people used to hang the thorny branches of prickly castor oil trees or trifoliate orange trees to drive away wandering demons. 3. Medicinal Usage of Horned Holly The leaves, berries, stems and roots of horned holly contain caffeine-like alkaloids, saponin, tannin, a bitter substance called amaroid, and the seeds contain 9.84% fatty oil. In Asian herbal medicine, the horned holly is a medicinal plant whose leaves are known to improve the functions of the liver and kidneys and to strength one’s bodily energy and blood. It is also effective in alleviating pain in the bones and muscles, and thus is used to treat tubercular coughs, hematemesis caused by chronic fatigue, pain in the back and knees, pain in the upper limbs caused by rheumatism, contusion, tinnitus, vertigo, and high blood pressure. Furthermore, holly leaves, which are known for their efficacy in enriching ying energy, strengthening the body’s essence and improving blood circulation, are used to improve physical weaknesses, restore depleted yang energy, and alleviate pain in the bones, muscles, and open wounds. The stem of the horned holly can help strengthen the back and legs, while its roots clear wind-fever symptoms, and are therefore used to treat head-wind symptoms, blood congestion, and toothache.
Current Status
The colony of horned hollies is found along the southern coast of Docheong-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, behind the village of Mohang in the north and at the foot of the mountains in Byeonsan-ro. The colony comprises about 50 trees in the designated area (2,631m2), with the height of each shrub reaching around 3 to 4 meters.
