Holly-leaved Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia) Login         


        Description
  • Height 8 - 30 ft.
  • EW Bloom Mar - Jun
  • Look for its distinctive holly-like leaves.
  • Found in sunny areas with porous soil - foothill woodlands, chaparral and coastal scrub.
  • The only other subspecies in California is native to the Channel Islands.
  • CA native
  • AKA Holly Leaf Cherry, Hollyleaf Cherry
  • Rose Family (Rosaceae)



Leaves are wavy, have spiny margins, and are bright green above and below. They smell like almonds.



Flowers can fill this tree-like shrub. Many bees visit for the nectar and pollen.



Cherries go from green to red to dark purple. They're an important food source for birds and mammals.

   Photo Gallery (20 ) click any picture to enlarge
    

Leaves are shiny and thick, with spiny teeth. The underside is paler. They're [[evergreen]]. All other California native plants in this genus are [ ...

The species name, [i]ilicifolia[/i], is a combination of two Latin names - ilic referring to "holly like" and folia referring to "foliage." The spi ...

Flowers are a confusion of [[stamens]]. Each flower has five small, white petals which almost disappear among the stamens. Each flower connects wi ...

A single female [[pistil]] rises in the center of each flower. At its base is an [[ovary]] that, if fertilized, will develop into a cherry fruit. ...

Fertilized ovaries produce cherry fruits that start green, then turn dark red and become purple at maturity. This color change lets animals know ...