Trees of December 4

Today I was thinking of traditional music that goes with this month...and as I looked at the trees I began to hum "The Holly and the Ivy".



In the back and side garden there are a number of holly trees both planted and native. This is one that I paid to have planted.



In closeup this does not look like the picture perfect holly tree with the expected deeply serrated leaves but it does have the requisite berries. And, trust me, it is a holly tree.



"And the ivy, now both are full well grown." This one was found today in a heavily wooded area.



The woods were in a somewhat steep area and left in an entirely natural state although they were well within a suburban locale.


As I looked down into another area I noticed this bright spot of green among the winter trees. At first I thought it was holly, and it likely is, but then I wondered if it was a rogue mistletoe because the trunk structure did not seem right for a holly and the larger canopy tree. Probably I should have stumbled down the slope to check this out but, sadly, I had other places to be



"Of all the trees that are in the woods, the holly bears the crown". Those are the words but why is the holly paired with the ivy? How many ivy trees have you seen?