Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia · Rosaceae
- Form
- Shrub
- Height
- 8–15 ft
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low
- Blooms
- Jun, Jul
- Pet toxicity
- Mild
- Habitat
- Chaparral · Oak Woodland
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Chaparral, Oak Woodland, canyon slopes
- Form / size: Large evergreen shrub / small tree, 8–15 ft
- Sun: Full sun to part shade · Water: Low
- Blooms: Summer (white); berries brighten winter · Pollinator value: High
Description
A handsome evergreen with leathery, sharply toothed, holly-like leaves, flat-topped clusters of small white summer flowers, and — its signature — masses of bright red berries in late fall and winter. Those berries (and its old name “California holly”) gave Hollywood its name. Reliable, long-lived, and one of the best all-around natives.
Wildlife & pollinators
Summer flowers feed native bees and butterflies; winter berries are a feast for cedar waxwings, robins, mockingbirds, and mammals.
Habitat & range
Chaparral, oak woodland, and canyon slopes throughout cismontane California, including the Santa Ana Mountains.
In the garden
A four-season workhorse: evergreen structure, summer flowers, winter berries, and real toughness. Full sun to light shade, low water once established. Can be left as a big shrub or limbed up into a small tree.
Propagation
From seed (clean the pulp from ripe berries and sow fresh) or semi-hardwood cuttings. Seed is the easier route.
Where to see it near you
- iNaturalist — observed in Orange County
- Santa Ana Mountains, Caspers and Whiting Ranch.
Problems
Very tough; occasional fireblight or leaf spot in wet conditions, rarely serious.
Sources
Commonly confused with
California Coffeeberry 🌿 Frangula californica similar shrub, but coffeeberry's berries ripen green → red → black and its leaves are softer; toyon's berries stay red and its leaves are stiff and sharply toothed. 
