FLORA OF THE VALLEY : CALIFORNIA HOLLEY

In December, across the mountainous brushlands of Southern California the berries of the California Holly, or toyon, come out in bright, festive red clusters. The shrub’s timely presentation of berries in the holiday season also leads to another name, the Christmas berry.

The evergreen, tree-like shrub can reach a height of 30 feet and is a common member of the chaparral plant community in areas below 4,000 feet in altitude. Its scientific name is Heteromeles arbutifolia.

California Holly is native to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, the state’s coastal mountain ranges, and from Southern California to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Birds feast on the fruit, to which bees are also attracted.

The thick, leathery, dark green leaves are sharply toothed and oblong in shape. They typically range from 2 1/2 to 6 inches. The bark is smooth and light gray in color.

The five-petaled white flowers open in late spring and grow to about a half-inch in diameter. In December, the plant’s flowers ripen into berry-like pomes--usually red but occasionally yellow. The fruit is about one-third of an inch in diameter.

In the past, berries have been eaten raw or crushed for cider. California law currently forbids gathering the fruit of the wild toyon.

California Holly grown domestically tolerates dry weather well but thrives with summer watering in well drained soil. When the shrub is pruned properly, it produces more berries than in the wild.