Hollyleaf Cherry, Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia

About Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia) 14 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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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

Shrub, Tree

Size

5 - 40 ft tall
5 - 20 ft wide

Form

Mounding, Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Slight

Flower Color

Cream, White, Purple

Flowering Season

Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported

Various insects are attracted to the flowers. Birds love the fruits.
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 117 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulusPapilio rutulus

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedonPapilio eurymedon

Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini

California Hairstreak Satyrium californicaSatyrium californica

Two-Tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudataPapilio multicaudata

The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus

Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontesPapilio cresphontes

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 14

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage

Medium

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

Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Bird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos species), Sagebrush (Artemisia species), California Encelia (Encelia californica), Buckwheat (Eriogonum species), Chaparral Mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus), Sage (Salvia species), Ceanothus species, Yucca species, Dudleya species, and cactus species

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?

Seeds or cuttings

Sunset Zones?

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

Natural Setting

Site Type

Coastal bluffs and terraces, inland slopes, foothills, canyons below 5,200 ft.

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

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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

Hollyleaf Cherry

Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia

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Hollyleaf CherryPrunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia

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Hollyleaf Cherry

Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia