Heteromeles Arbutifolia
( het - er - oh - MEE - leez ar - bew - tiff - FOH - lee - uh )
At-A-Glance Information
More commonly known as Toyon and at times called Christmas Berry or California Holly, this evergreen shrub or tree likes full sun or partial shade and moderate water. It will attract birds and butterflies to your garden. This plant is native to the California Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada Foothills, and Baja California. It forms a dense shrub 8-15 feet tall and broad, or a multitrunked tree to 20 feet tall. These plants have dark green leaves that are edged with teeth. Small, white, mildly fragrant flowers appear in clusters in early summer followed in fall or winter by bright red berries that birds absolutely love. The berries are edible, though they have an astringent taste and are not commonly consumed.
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Heteromeles arbutifolia Varietals
The genus Heteromeles is monotypic (only containing one species), Heteromeles arbutifolia. It belongs to the plant family Rosaceae. Fun fact: Hollywood was named for this plant. Toyon grows best in zones 5-9 and 14-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
Caring for and pruning Heteromeles Arbutifolia shrubs
Toyon prefers being planted in well-draining soil and are considered easy to care for. Soil should have a pH of between 5.0 and 8.0. These shrubs can be planted in full sun to partial shade, and once established are drought-tolerant, needing only supplemental water during the warmest months of the year. Toyon shrubs do not need to be fertilized, and the only pruning they really need is when they become a bit leggy. They can be cut back to the ground, and will regrow from the base. To encourage a bushier habit, pinch branch tips as they are emerging.
Propagation
Toyon can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Heteromeles arbutifolia by Cutting
Propagating Heteromeles arbutifolia by Seed
Propagating Heteromeles arbutifolia by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Heteromeles arbutifolia by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seeds are contained within the red or golden fruiting bodies that are left behind once flowers fade. Remove the seeds from the flesh of the fruit, run them through a strainer to clean them, and set them out to dry on a paper towel.
- Cold-stratify your seeds by placing them in moistened peat moss inside a sealable plastic bag, and put them in the refrigerator for three months. Once this period is over, remove them from the peat moss and set them aside until you are ready to work with them.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Problems and Pests
Toyon suffers from the following issues and pests:
- Scale
- Thrips
- Lace Bug
- Fire Blight
- Root Rot
- Scab
Gallery
Videos
Learn about these California native shrubs.
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A great video jam-packed with information about Toyon shrubs.
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Planting Toyon shrubs in your garden.
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These California native shrubs deserve some attention!
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 360, Heteromeles arbutifolia
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