Holly Pollen Color

Ilex aquifolium

Holly pollen is shown in the yellow and gold color family as general visual guidance. Use this page as a reference for pollen appearance, bloom timing, plant type, bee forage value, and available hardiness context.

Pollen color is highly variable. Lighting, pollen age, moisture, collection method, cultivar, and local growing conditions can all change how pollen appears. Use this as general visual guidance, not a scientific color standard or guaranteed field match.

Visual guideHolly pollen

Photo: Lamiot · CC BY-SA 4.0

Plant Facts

SeasonWinter
USDA Zone5 - 9
Plant TypeTree
ForagePollen and nectar
Pollen ValueLow
Nectar ValueMedium
Color FamilyYellow and gold
Scientific NameIlex aquifolium
Common NamesEuropean holly, English holly, Holly
Reviewed2026-10-11

Quick Answer

Holly pollen is shown in this guide as a yellow and gold tone. It is listed as tree, associated with winter bloom timing, USDA zone 5 - 9, and pollen and nectar forage value.

Pollen Color Notes

The visual color shown for Holly is grouped broadly with yellow and gold pollen tones. It is intended for comparison and identification support, not as a laboratory measurement.

Pollen color is highly variable. Lighting, pollen age, moisture, collection method, cultivar, and local growing conditions can all change how pollen appears. Use this as general visual guidance, not a scientific color standard or guaranteed field match.

Bloom, Zone, and Forage Context

Holly is listed for winter. The record lists USDA zone 5 - 9; hardiness zones are planning context, not a precise flowering calendar. Approximate bloom months in the supplemental notes: May, June.

Its forage type is pollen and nectar, with pollen value marked as low and nectar value marked as medium. Flowers provide spring pollen and nectar. Although foliage is evergreen, flowering is not a winter event in temperate regions.

Identification Notes

An evergreen tree or shrub with glossy often-spiny leaves, small four-petaled flowers, and red fruit on female plants; male and female flowers usually occur on separate plants.

Flower color note: White. Flower color and pollen color may differ.

Related by Similar Color

Mountain Ash - Yellow and gold Meadowsweet - Yellow and gold Laurustinus - Orange and amber Crab Apple - Yellow and gold Pear - Yellow and gold Clematis - Yellow and gold

Related by Season

Alder - Winter to Spring Cedar - Winter to Spring Hazel - Winter Ozark Witch Hazel - Winter to Spring Snowdrop - Winter Winter Aconite - Winter

Related by Plant Type

Alder - Tree Almond - Tree American Basswood - Tree American Persimmon - Tree Apple - Tree Ash - Tree

Related by USDA Zone

Adam's Needle - Zone 4 - 10 Alder - Zone 2 - 7 Allium - Zone 3 - 9 Almond - Zone 4 - 8 Alsike Clover - Zone 3 - 8 American Basswood - Zone 3 - 8

Related by Bee Forage

Adam's Needle - Pollen and nectar Alfalfa - Pollen and nectar Allium - Pollen and nectar Almond - Pollen and nectar Alsike Clover - Pollen and nectar American Basswood - Pollen and nectar

Sources

USDA PLANTS Database
United States Department of Agriculture / reviewed 2026-07-12
scientific name, common name, distribution context, plant classification NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
North Carolina State University Extension / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant identification, flower description, landscape and growing context Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Missouri Botanical Garden / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant identification, flowering context, garden plant descriptions Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Foundation contributors / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant image, image credit link
Detailed view of a male European holly flower (Ilex aquifolium)

Photo: Lamiot · CC BY-SA 4.0