Garden Features

Holly Walk

The Holly Walk is situated towards the south end of the Gardens and runs two-thirds of a mile behind the Evolution House to the rose family collections, ending at the Cedar Vista. The Holly Walk is one of the Gardens' historic features, and is planted along what used to be Love Lane, which made up part of the main public right of way from Kew to Richmond.

The Holly Walk was laid out in 1874 by Sir Joseph Hooker, the director of the garden, as part of a series of vistas. The original planting of hollies extended 805m along Love Lane. More recent developments to the Holly Walk were carried out in 1986 when the walk was extended a further 229m to the Cedar Vista. The hollies also continue down the paths that come off the Holly Walk towards the Temperate House.

The majority of the hollies in the walk are from the original planting. Many have become extremely large trees, some of the taller plants reaching a height of 30m. Most of the hollies in the collection are over 134 years old. The original plants along the walk have been maintained through propagation of the original specimens ensuring the walk remains the same.

The collection of hollies consists of 602 accessions including some 56 species and hybrids. Most of the Holly Walk are cultivars of common holly (Ilex aquifolium) and smooth-leaved holly (Ilex x altaclerensis). The Holly Walk provides a unique opportunity to compare large numbers of both species and cultivars, showing a vast array of variation in leaf shape, colour and growth habit. Variegated species such as Ilex aquifolium "Argentia Marginata Pendula" has branches that arch down and are covered with white variegated leaves, making the plant look like a cascade of water, and Ilex aquifolium "Silver Queen" has a pink tinge to the new foliage. Other plants have smooth, oval, dark, glossy leaves, such as Ilex x altaclerensis "Platyphilla". There are also other hollies which differ from those usually sold in garden centres, such as Ilex aquifolium "Crassifolia", which has small, thick, light green leaves that are serrated at the edges, and the Himalayan holly (Ilex dipyrena), which has long, thin, light green spineless leaves.

The hollies flower in June in a mass of white flowers, and the berries (which can vary between red and yellow depending on the plant) are at their best in November and December and continue throughout the spring. The hollies also produce year-round foliage interest. Due to the length of the Walk, and the height and spread of the plants, the Holly Walk provides a very impressive sight. The beautiful white architecture of the Temperate House provides an excellent backdrop to the dark green foliage of the hollies.

The holly plants along the walk represent the largest, most comprehensive collection of mature hollies in cultivation. The collection is well documented and has been worked on by Kew taxonomists since 1976.