Unidentified tree to ID

[chrishorak]

300! I'm pretty sure it isn't Common Holly, so 299 other options....

Thanks for pointing me to the right species. I'll look out for the berries later in the year.

[The Woodman]

It will (hopefully!) be a Common Holly , possibly a variety of the Common Holly in which case the scientific way of describiing it will be something like, for example, Ilex aquifolium var.bacciflava - a yellow berried form.
Hybrids (crosses) are described thus: Ilex x alta-clerensis, a cross between our native holly and Ilex perado var. platyphylla.
One has only to look at a specialist nursery catalogue to see the different varieties, some are subtley different to the native holly, some are glaringly different like the varigated varieties.
Your image of the open grown whole tree shows a particular "form" i.e. the jizz of the tree - shape, way the branches hang, sweep etc.etc. The same tree, if close grown in a plantation would look much different.
Take a look at a few leylandii hedges. It is rare to find a hedge that doesn't contain a tree that doesn't match the majority. That's because whoever purchased the original plants didn't ensure that they all came from the same donor tree. Leylandiis are cultivated commercially by propagation and the young tree will have the characteristics of its parent.

Interesting subject, the wonderful world of trees.

[chrishorak]

Thanks, very interesting. I'll see if any experts come along, but I'm satisfied for now that I know it is a type of Holly.

[Tiggrx]

Looks like a form of our native holly to me, it's isn't unusual to find bushes that are partially or wholly spineless.