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Hollyleaf Cherry
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
  
About Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia) 15 Nurseries Carry This Plant Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia) is a native evergreen tree or shrub in the Rose family that grows in the coastal and inland valleys strip of northern, central, and southern California. It tends to grow on slopes or in valleys, at elevations from 0-5200 feet. It grows in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and southern oak woodland habitats and can vary greatly in size depending on conditions. In dry, rocky or shallow soils it will be bush-like from 5 to 15 ft. In richer soils with more moisture it will attain large shrub or small tree size, up to 30-40 ft.
The leaves are holly-like and evergreen. The flowers are small and white; the fruit is a one inch red to dark purple drupe that is popular with wildlife. The closely related subspecies Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii (Catalina Cherry) is endemic to the Channel Islands, but in appearance and behavior the two can be difficult to distinguish as they hybridize readily.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub, Tree

Size
Size
5 - 40 ft tall
5 - 20 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding, Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Slight

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, White, Purple

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Various insects are attracted to the flowers. Birds love the fruits.

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils from clay to sand, but performs best in coarse, well drained soil. Soil PH: 4.0 - 7.7

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Bird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Maintenance
Maintenance
Takes pruning well. Can be pruned into a standard tree or sheared into a hedge. Prune in late fall after fruit is gone.

Propagation
Propagation?
Seeds or cuttings

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
5, 7*, 8, 9, 10, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Coastal bluffs and terraces, inland slopes, foothills, canyons below 5,200 ft.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 6.7" - 44.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 2.78", Coldest Month: 38.7" - 56.4", Hottest Month: 63.0" - 80.4", Humidity: 0.98" - 31.17", Elevation: 36" - 6049"

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


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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