Not every leaf is equally prickly
Vive Cabeceiras · Local observation · Rio Douro · general botany

Even on a single holly tree, leaves can differ.

Mentioned for Cabreira by Visit Cabeceiras, Ilex aquifolium has evergreen leaves. The Gulbenkian profile describes spiny edges, sometimes smooth on older branches or plants. Red fruits appear on female plants and are toxic. Observe them without picking or tasting them. According to Gulbenkian, flowering generally takes place from April to June; fruits ripen in late summer and can remain through winter.

The small white flowers are less conspicuous than the fruits. Holly is dioecious: there are male and female plants. This distinction helps explain why not every plant bears red fruit.

It is a slow-growing shrub that can live for more than a century. Gulbenkian describes it in oak woods and scrub, often on shady, damp slopes with slightly acidic soils rich in organic matter. Observing the plant therefore also means looking at its surroundings, as well as its leaf outlines.

The photograph by DVG, recorded on 2026-04-03, shows this species in Rio Douro. Open the observation to compare visible details with the botanical description. The record documents that encounter; it does not mean the plant will always be visible in the same place.

Sources and context
Visit Cabeceiras — natural heritage of Serra da Cabreira
https://visitcabeceiras.pt/emocoes/post/serra-da-cabreira
Accessed: 2026-11-06
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation — Ilex aquifolium, characteristics and habitat
https://gulbenkian.pt/jardim/biodiversity/azevinho/
Accessed: 2026-11-07
iNaturalist — Ilex aquifolium, DVG observation in 2026-04-03
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/346979353
Accessed: 2026-11-07

Editorial summary. The date of consultation is not the date of the facts.
Text and recipe, when available. Photos, activities and updates on the page:
https://vivecabeceiras.pt/en/descobrir/terra-viva/?leitura=azevinho-folhas#azevinho-folhas