Do holly leaves ever decompose? Don't know what variety of hollies I have, but they're big and 40-plus years old. Ouch.

They do, Lisa but they take longer than a lot of other leaves. That shiny surface on them is actually a waxy coating that helps them to shed water so they last a long, long time. My live oaks here have similar leaves. I've had them take 2 years to disappear in my compost.

If you can rake them into a layer on the lawn or somewhere, then run over them a few times with the lawn mower to cut them up, that will speed up the process. Being mixed in with lawn clippings will also help.

Thanks for your response, Elaine. We have limited space, and as a result, we don't compost. Yet. May need to reconsider that decision.