Hollyleaf Cherry
Prunus ilicifolia
Hollyleaf cherry is a large shrub or short tree, growing 15 meters (about 50 ft) in height, with a dense, rounded crown of stumpy, spreading branches. The pale gray bark is smooth and unfurrowed. The leathery, holly-like leaves are dark green, with sharp, curling spines. The shiny, spiky leaves are 1.5-12 cm long. The small white flowers, 1-5 mm in diameter, sprout from upright racemes (central stems from which multiple flowers bloom from). The fleshy cherry fruit is 12-25 cm in diameter and has a large, hard pit.
Basic Information
Member of the Rosaceae, or rose, family
Evergreen
There are two recognized subspecies:
ssp. lyonii (Catalina Island Cherry) — native to the Channel Islands; red fruit
ssp. Ilicifolia — native to mainland California and Baja California; darker blue-black fruit
Habitat
Native to coastal California, northern Baja California, and some areas of the Mojave desert
Found in both coastal and desert chaparral and foothill woodlands
Ecological Role
Birds and other wildlife eat the sweet fruit
Host plant for the larva of the California hairstreak, Lorquin's admiral, Nevada buckmoth, and tiger swallowtail butterflies
The caterpillars of the pale swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) feed on the plant
Reproduction
Blooms from March-May
Alternative Names
Catalina Island Cherry, Holly-leaf Cherry, evergreen cherry
The Salinan tribe called the plant islay
Historical Uses
The fruit was widely eaten by native people including the Cahuilla, Ohlone, Mahuna, and Luiseno
The pit of the dried fruit was leached of toxins and made into a meal or flour
Additional Information
Though the fruit is edible, the seed and leaves contains poisonous substances
This plant can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil
