BBC Wildlife - UK (2019-12)

12 BBC Wildlife December 2019

Sincemedievaltimes,hollyhas
beengatheredatChristmasto
decoratechurchesandhouses,
theblood-redberriessupposedly
offeringprotectionfromevil.
Backthen,superstitiouspeople
mayhavewonderedwhyonly
sometreesbearfruit,buttoday
weknowtheanswer.Each
hollytreeis maleorfemale,a
conditionknownasdioecious,
andthatmakesself-pollination
impossible.Soalthoughall
hollieshaveprettywhiteflowers
inspring,onlyfemaletreeswill
goontoproduceberries,which
developfromfertilisedflowers.
Theycanonlydothat,ofcourse,
if maletreesarenearbytosupply
thenecessarypollen.

FIND OUT MORE Discover
more about trees and woods:
woodlandtrust.org.uk

3 | HOLLY

Season’s greetings

NotmanypeopleareasluckyasBBCWildlife

contributorRobertE Fuller,wholastwinterwas

visitedbyanermineinhisgarden(seeourSpring

2019 issue).Inthisall-whitepelage,thestoat

is perhapsBritain’smostattractivemammal,

butpredictingwhereyoumightspotanermine

is tricky.It’smorelikelyinnorthernuplands,

thougherminesdogetreportedfurthersouth,

includinginCornwallandSuffolkinrecentyears.

Variousfactorscontrolthewhitening,including

anindividualstoat’sheredity,fallingtemperatures

andsnowcover.Severeweatherconditionsoneyear

increasethelikelihoodofa changenextwinter.

FIND OUT MORE Robert E Fuller: robertefuller.

com/diary/weasels-and-stoats-mustelids-and-me

2 | STOAT

Ghostly guise

Stoat: Brian Matthews; holly: Laurie Campbell; red kite: Graham Eaton/naturepl.com