Holly in local woodland; not one has berries; why?

Question

I regularly walk in a wooded area it is only about 40 years old there are many Oak and Rowan trees and a lot of holly but none of the holly has berries. How can they reproduce when there are only male. Is it the female that has the berries? Not sure.

Answer 1

Hollies will also reproduce by underground runners. This means than an entire cluster or segment of shrubs could be, technically, one tree. Another possibility is that the berries go unseen. Many hollies fruit in the dead of winter, when it is unpleasant for people to walk around. Some could be male, and some could be purposefully sterilized, as not to introduce extra genetics to the area.