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Hollyleaf Cherry
Prunus ilicifolia
  
54 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia) 54 Nurseries Carry This Plant Hollyleaf cherry or Evergreen cherry is a species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family that is native to coastal California and northern Baja California. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 meters tall, with dense, sclerophyllous foliage. The leaves are 1.6-12 centimeter long with a 4-25 millimeter petiole and spiny margins, somewhat resembling those of the holly, hence its English name; they are dark green when mature and generally shiny on top, and have a smell resembling almonds when crushed. The flowers are small (1-5 millimeters), white, produced on racemes in the spring. The fruit is a cherry 12-25 millimeter diameter, edible and sweet, but contains little flesh surrounding the smooth seed. Great for birds.

There are two recognized subspecies; ssp. lyonii (commonly known as Catalina Island Cherry) is native to the Channel Islands. It was formerly considered a separte species, and it is very similar in appearance and genetics to other P. ilicifolia. They hybridize readily, and many plants sold in nurseries may be unintentional hybrids.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Tree

Size
Size
30 - 49.2 ft tall
20 ft wide

Form
Form
Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Many birds and some small mammals are attracted to the fruits

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 confirmed , 140 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Papilio rutulus Image
Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulusPapilio rutulus
Papilio eurymedon Image
Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedonPapilio eurymedon
Sphinx perelegans Image
Elegant Sphinx Moth Sphinx perelegansSphinx perelegans
Epinotia lomonana Image
Epinotia lomonanaEpinotia lomonana
*
Limenitis lorquini Image
Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini
*
Satyrium californica Image
California Hairstreak Satyrium californicaSatyrium californica
*
Papilio multicaudata Image
Two-Tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudataPapilio multicaudata

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 54

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerant of a variety of soils but will grow largest and fastest in coarse, fast draining, relatively fertile garden soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Works with a wide variety of other trees and plants, including Manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), Coyotebrush (Baccharis pilularis), Barberry (Berberis sp.), Ceanothus sp., Redbud (Cercis occidentalis), Tree Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Bushmallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus), Pines (Pinus sp.), Oak (Quercus sp.), Flannelbush (Fremontodendron sp.), Currant (Ribes sp.), and many others.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: Fresh seeds need no treatment; stored seeds 1-3 mos. stratification may improve germination.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Slopes of the coast-facing mountains, extending inland to the desert transition and 1,600 m elevation

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 4.6" - 52.9", Summer Precipitation: 0.13" - 3.04", Coldest Month: 33.4" - 57.3", Hottest Month: 62.3" - 84.0", Humidity: 0.47" - 34.82", Elevation: 0" - 6785"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Catalina Island Cherry, Holly-leaf Cherry, Holly-leaved Cherry


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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