Holly

[stewamax]

I have several holly bushes - the pride of the pack being around 3m tall and bushy.
For the first time ever the big one has produced lots and lots of berries; in the past never so much as a single one.
Made me wonder whether the incessant rain followed by a long dry spell thus year had anything to do with it, or it was just biding its time.

[Breelander]

For the first time ever the big one has produced lots and lots of berries; in the past never so much as a single one.
Made me wonder whether the incessant rain followed by a long dry spell thus year had anything to do with it, or it was just biding its time.

Do you know the varieties? Are they all the same or a mix?

Most hollies are dioecious, which means the plant is either male OR female. You will need one of each for the female plant to bear berries.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/advice-bl ... ts-berries

If they are a mix of male and female varieties, it may be that their flowering time hadn't coincided before this year's unusual weather. Or it could just be that this was the first year they were mature enough to produce berries.