Heteromeles arbutifolia

Identification

Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon and Christmas Berry.
Christmas berry or Toyon with berries is what Hollywood was named after. Toyon will grow in most of Los Angeles with no water after first year. - grid24_3
Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon berries what Hollywood was named for.
We seldom see Toyon berries this ripe here, the birds eat them when they are still green. - grid24_3
Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon Berries before the birds got them.
Toyon, also called Christmas berry because of the red berries around Christmas. A great hedge plant. - grid24_3
Toyon, Christmas Berry, Heteromeles arbutifolia, makes a fast screen in most of California.
Birds love Toyon - grid24_3
This Bushtit, and his ten closest friends and relatives, were checking this Toyon for some tasty bug snacks. Toyon is also known as Christmas Berry, Heteromeles arbutifolia
Christmas berry or Toyon can make an impressive hedge or screen plant. - grid24_3
Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon berries are a common sight along California freeways.
Toyon flowers look like little rose flowers. - grid24_3
Flowers of Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, are little rose flowers.
Toyon in flower with no water. - grid24_3
Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon bush in flower.
A 100ft hedge of Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, as a privacy screen between a house and the street.  - grid24_3
A 100ft hedge of Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, as a privacy screen between a house and the street.
California thrasher bird eating Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, red berries - grid24_3
California Thrasher bird eating red berries of a Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia.

Description

Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon, or as it's sometimes called, Christmas Berry, is an evergreen shrub to small tree that usually grows to 6-8 ft. high and 4-5 ft. wide. Toyon can go to 15-20' tall if it's old and happy and become a delightful evergreen multi-stemmed tree with white flowers in summer and red berries in winter.
Toyon makes a good screen or specimen plant.
Toyon is native to much of California and is drought tolerant after the first few years, but tolerates some water if drainage is good. Relatively fire resistant. Toyon likes full sun, but  tolerates full shade. Tolerates serpentine based adobe soils, but also lives in beach sand. The berries are kinda edible but awful and contain cyanide compounds that can kill you if you eat a few pounds. Better for the birds. I had one student make a cherry pie out of them that wasn't bad. (The same cyanide compounds volatilize off and leave the cherry flavor when cooked.)
 Deer will eat this on bad years if it's been watered at all. If you protect it for 3-4 years and get it well established they don't hurt it very much (they eat the new growth and leaves below four feet). I find it fascinating that it is not reliably hardy at the Santa Margarita nursery site but on the south slopes on a narrow line half way up. We do not find it in most of the creek (where it is in many other plant communities) or on north slopes. It is hardy to about 0 F., at -5 F. it can(not always though) grow back from the crown. It is native in beach sand 1/2 mile from the ocean and it grows into the middle Sierras. It has some problems with leaf fungus and bacteria near the coast(needs good air flow). Decent air flow and no summer water after first year in coastal areas. Inland they will tolerate regular water.
Toyon grows with Quercus agrifolia, Quercus lobata and Quercus douglasii. A nice plant in many areas. Great hedge plant if mixed with Coffeeberry, Manzanita and Ceanothus.

Available at our Online store.

Contact: pan@laspilitas.com
Container Size Quantity In Production Quantity For Purchase Unit-Price
One Gallon 199 0 $ 7.99

Available at our Santa Margarita store.

Contact: bawilson@laspilitas.com
Hours: Open Saturday only from 9am to 4pm
Address: 3232 Las Pilitas Rd. Santa Margarita, CA 93453
Container Size Quantity In Production Quantity For Purchase Unit-Price
One Gallon 199 0 $ 7.99
Five Gallon 0 1 $ 24.99
Fifteen Gallon 0 0 $ 79.99

Available at our Escondido store.

Contact: escondido@laspilitas.com
Hours: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 4pm
Address: 8331 Nelson Way Escondido, CA 92026
Container Size Quantity In Production Quantity For Purchase Unit-Price
One Gallon 112 6 $ 7.99
Five Gallon 18 0 $ 24.99
Fifteen Gallon 0 0 $ 79.99

Characteristics

Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon tolerates sand, clay and serpentine.
Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon is great for a bird garden and a butterfly garden.
Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon's foliage color is green and type is evergreen.
Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon's flower color is white.
Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon's fruit is edible.

Communities

Communities for Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon:Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Mixed-evergreen Forest, Northern Coastal Sage Scrub and Central Oak Woodland.

Ranges for Heteromeles arbutifolia

ph: 5.00 to 8.00
usda: 7 to 10
height[m]: 2.00 to 6.00
width[m]: 2.00 to 3.00
rainfall[cm]: 31.00 to 110.00

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Last edited on 2012-04-24 21:08:00.

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