Festive foliage brings Christmas to the countryside

Our Countryside Rangers have a wealth of knowledge on the places, plants and species that call East Lothian home. Ranger Richard English offers an insight into an abundance of festive foliage.

Well, here we are again, rapidly approaching Christmas and all that entails. The festive season has long been associated with various wildlife species; robins, mistletoe, ivy and, perhaps most importantly, holly.

With its dark green, glossy leaves holly is a familiar tree of woodland understorey, hedgerows and gardens. It’s very unusual in that it’s a broad-leaved evergreen and, whilst there are several such species around the world, including oaks, acacias and maples, there are very few that are native to the UK. In fact, I’m struggling to come up with another one… The trees can reach a height of fifteen metres and can, perhaps surprisingly, live for up to three hundred years.

Evergreen

Whilst the leaves have a deserved reputation for spikiness, many hollies also bear non-spiky leaves. The fact that the lower leaves tend to be sharper than those above provides a clue to this variation. The spikes have evolved to discourage grazing animals and, since East Lothian tends not to have too many giraffes, the non-spiky leaves are out of the reach of most herbivores. The leaves’ evergreen status may be linked to the tree’s preference for relatively sheltered habitats. Leaves with large surface areas are thought to make trees more vulnerable to wind damage and can cause branches to become heavy with trapped snow and ice. Growing in the understorey, where the surrounding trees provide some protection against these problems, may allow the holly to retain its leaves all year.

Protecting wildlife

The holly is a dioecious species, meaning that individual plants have either male or female flowers, but not both. Female holly trees will be bearing fruit at this time of year. The berries are technically drupes, also known as ‘stone fruit’. Although toxic to us, the berries are an important source of food for many birds and are often closely guarded, especially by thrushes. Birds also appreciate the dense, protective cover provided by hollies and small mammals may hibernate in the dense leaf litter below the trees.

Holly is also valuable to wildlife over the summer months, with the flowers producing nectar for pollinators and the leaves being a food source for various caterpillars. Perhaps most significant of these, in a local context at least, is the holly blue butterfly, which has firmly established itself in the county in recent years.

Like so much of the symbolism around Christmas, the custom of displaying holly predates Christianity. As well as protecting against witchcraft, evil spirits and goblins (always a worry), it was also a fertility symbol. This was perhaps because of its shiny leaves and bright berries persisting throughout the winter when most other plants look so lifeless. In ancient Roman times it was associated with the festival of Saturnalia. Like so many pagan symbols, holly was absorbed into Christian imagery - the spiny leaves representing the crown of thorns and the berries the blood of Christ.

However you spend the festive period, I hope you enjoy it and wish you health, happiness and plenty of time in nature in 2026.

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Keep up to date with all things Countryside Ranger on the service’s facebook or Instagram pages. You’ll find news and information to help you make the most of your time in our coast and countryside spaces as well as beautiful photography of the species that live here.

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Six tips for a greener Christmas

Christmas is a great time of year in East Lothian, with a huge variety of places to go and things to do. By making some small changes, you can enjoy Christmas while protecting the planet. Here are six practical, eco-friendly tips to help you enjoy a more sustainable festive season.

1. Try to reduce food waste

One of the biggest environmental impacts at Christmas comes from food waste.

You can effectively reduce food waste by planning meals carefully, making room for leftovers, and freezing food within two days.

Try recipes from Love Food Hate Waste (a Zero Waste Scotland campaign) to turn your festive leftovers into soups, stews, or sandwiches - reducing both food waste and your carbon footprint.

If you have food scraps you can’t eat, take advantage of East Lothian’s kerbside food waste recycling. The waste from this stream is composted or turned into heat energy through anaerobic digestion!

2. Choose and dispose of your Christmas tree thoughtfully

If you choose a real tree, try to pick one grown locally to reduce your tree miles emissions. After the holiday, don’t just throw the tree away. If you have space, plant it. Otherwise, compost it or take it to your nearest recycling centre. In East Lothian if you have a garden waste collection permit, present your tree beside your permitted brown bin on garden waste collection dates in January.

If you have an artificial tree, look after it so you can reuse it year after year. When it's time to get rid of it, think about donating it to a charity shop if it's in good condition. (Zero Waste Scotland)

3. Use reusable or recycled decorations and lights

Decorating can be wasteful, but there are more sustainable options:

• turn off or unplug your Christmas lights when not in use - this reduces energy consumption
• if you’re feeling crafty, make your own decorations. Use natural materials (pinecones, sprigs, etc.) or upcycle items you already have. This could be a great activity for the whole family!
• make your own Christmas crackers, wrapped in materials like recycled paper or even toilet-roll tubes rather than shiny plastic, so they can be more easily recycled

4. Wrap thoughtfully

Carefully unwrap gifts, remove tape and tags, and store boxes, bags, and paper for reuse.

If you're wrapping, think about using:

• fabric (for example scarves, cloth)
• recycled or plain paper and reuse last year’s paper where you can
• making your own gift tags from old Christmas cards

5. Recycle and dispose of waste properly

Even with the best intentions, some waste is inevitable - so recycling right is key. Rinse plastics and cans before recycling, flatten cardboard boxes, and bundle up any extra cardboard so it can be collected.

Seasonal waste and recycling arrangements for East Lothian can be found here.

6. Give experiences, not stuff

You can give great and meaningful Christmas gifts that are low-impact and low-cost! Try gifting experiences, memberships, or simply your time - volunteering, sharing an outing or creating something together.

A more sustainable Christmas doesn’t mean being less festive. By reducing waste and disposing of things responsibly, we can all celebrate joyfully for a long time to come.

Your key to greener business travel

Hiyacar pool cars are back

We’re excited to announce the relaunch of our electric pool cars for business travel. These vehicles are available for staff Monday to Friday during working hours, with convenient bases in Haddington, Dunbar and Musselburgh and they can be booked online and picked up using the Hiyacar app. No need for a key, just unlock with your phone and drive.

Outside of working hours, the cars can be hired by the public in the evenings and at weekends, making them a shared resource for the whole community.

Why choose electric pool cars?

Cut carbon emissions
Every mile driven in an electric pool car saves around 120g of CO₂ compared to a petrol car – helping us hit our climate targets faster.

Travel smarter
Use pool cars for business trips and commute sustainably – by bus, train, bike, or on foot – knowing you have a car ready for meetings or site visits.

Convenient locations
Vehicles are based in Haddington, Dunbar, and Musselburgh, so the majority of council staff are never far from a greener option.

Community benefit
When you’re not using them, these cars are available for public hire, helping more people access low-carbon transport. Tell your friends and neighbours in East Lothian and help spread the word.

To find out more about how to sign up, how to book a car and where to collect it search 'hiyacar' on our intranet pages.