What is a toyon tree?

What is a toyon tree?

Toyon is a beautiful perennial shrub native throughout the western part of California and the Sierra foothills. It is also known by the common names Christmas berry and California Holly from the bright red berries it produces. The city of Hollywood was name for this plant.

Are toyon leaves poisonous?

Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon) , or Christmasberry, is a southern California native of the chapparal community which is a photinia relative. It is on a California list under the name Photinia arbutifolia as a plant which is poisonous to humans, but is not listed as toxic to dogs.

Is toyon a fast grower?

Even in ideal toyon growing conditions, the shrub grows only moderately fast, but they are almost maintenance free. You won’t need to prune them, feed them or even irrigate them in the summer.

What does a toyon tree look like?

Toyon foliage includes oblong shaped evergreen leaves with a serrated edge. In the spring and early summer, it produces small white flowers in dense bunches, with bright red berry-like fruit showing up in the fall and well into winter. On closer inspection, its berries resemble little apples.

Where is toyon found?

California
Toyon is found throughout California below 4000 feet (1200 m), but only slightly beyond the state boundary. It is a frequent component of chaparral, often in canyons and north facing slopes. It is also found in coastal sage scrub.

How does toyon grow?

Toyon grows at a moderate pace to approximately 15 by 15 high and wide, with some individuals topping 25 feet. Leaves are deep green and leathery with serrated margins. Their size and shape can vary from long and thin to short and wide.

Is Toyon poisonous to humans?

Likewise, the unripe Toyon berries,and seeds within contain dangerous levels of a poisonous cyanide-forming compound, which if eaten can sicken or kill the consumer of the berries, whether human, bird, or other animals. Eat a handful of ripe Toyon berries and you may get sick; eat a pound and you may die!

Can you eat Toyon?

This is a great year for toyon berries. Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, is our California native holly. The original Californians appreciated that timing, too, as the berries are edible if you prepare them right, and there’s not much in the way of ripe native fruit in midwinter here.

Is toyon fire resistant?

IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : Toyon is quite resistant to fire mortality [64]. Although aerial portions may be killed, most plants survive fire [23,51,59]. In fact, toyon appears to suffer very little fire mortality even when subjected to short-interval fires.

Is toyon a fruit?

The toyon berries (or pomes) were a favorite food for Native American tribes in southern California (fruits from the Rose family are called pomes). The Chumash, the Tongva, the Costanoan, the Luiseno, the Kumeyaay and the Cahuilla all collected and ate berries from the toyon tree.

Where do Toyon trees grow?

Heteromeles arbutifolia (/ ˌhɛtɪroʊˈmiːliːz ɑːrˌbjuːtɪˈfoʊliə /; more commonly / ˌhɛtəˈrɒməliːz / by Californian botanists), commonly known as toyon, is a common perennial shrub native to extreme southwest Oregon, California, Baja California, and British Columbia. It is the sole species in the genus Heteromeles.

What is the scientific name of Toyon?

Photinia arbutifolia Lindl. Crataegus arbutifolia W.T.Aiton nom. illeg. Heteromeles arbutifolia ( / ˌhɛtɪroʊˈmiːliːz ɑːrˌbjuːtɪˈfoʊliə /; more commonly / ˌhɛtəˈrɒməliːz / by Californian botanists), commonly known as toyon, is a common perennial shrub native to extreme southwest Oregon, California, Baja California, and British Columbia.

Is toytoyon a shrub?

Toyon is a beautiful perennial shrub native throughout the western part of California and the Sierra foothills. It is a prominent component of the coastal sage scrub plant community, and is a part of drought-adapted chaparral and mixed oak woodland habitats.

What is Toyon used for?

Toyon is also widely used for wildlife plantings, since the berries are eaten by a variety of bird species [58]. Toyon seed should be collected in the fall [6].