Hollyleaf cherry (LA Urban Forest Program)

Hollyleaf cherry

Prunus ilicifolia

Summary ⁸

Prunus ilicifolia (Common names: "Hollyleaf cherry", "Evergreen cherry"; "Islay" - Salinan Native American) is an evergreen shrub to tree, producing edible cherries, with shiny and spiny toothed leaves similar in appearance to holly. It is native to the chaparral areas of coastal California and northern Baja California, as well as the desert chaparral areas of the Mojave desert.

Common names ⁹

hollyleaf cherry
holly-leaved cherry
islay
evergreen cherry

Description ¹⁰

More info for the terms: bisexual, sclerophyllous, shrub

Hollyleaf cherry is a native, sclerophyllous, broadleaved shrub or small
tree [6,28,34]. Although it commonly assumes a shrubby growth habit,
heights may range from 3 to 26 feet (1 to 8 m) [34]. Treelike forms
usually occur on more favorable sites, with some individuals reaching 24
feet (7.3 m) in height and 11.5 feet (3.5 m) in circumference [6,13].
Branches are gray or reddish brown in color [5]. The foliage is
typically dense and compact [40]. The thick, evergreen, spiny-toothed
leaves are dark green and shiny above with pale undersides; leaves are
simple, approximately 0.8 to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm) long, and arranged
alternately on the stem [5,34]. Small, inconspicuous, bisexual flowers
are produced in short cylindrical clusters and are white in color. The
fruit is a small, red or purple (sometimes yellow) drupe consisting of a
thin, sweetish pulp and a smooth, boney seed [34].