| Prunus ilicifolia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Prunus |
| Species: | P. ilicifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Prunus ilicifolia (Nutt. ex Hook. & Arn.) Walp. |
|
Prunus ilicifolia (Common names: "Hollyleaf cherry"[1], "Evergreen cherry"; "Islay" - Salinan Native American[2]) is an evergreen shrub[1] to tree, producing edible cherries, with shiny and spiny toothed leaves[1] similar in appearance to holly. It is native to the chaparral areas of coastal California and northern Baja California,[3][4], as well as the desert chaparral areas of the Mojave desert.
Holly-leaved cherry grows 8 to 30 feet tall, with thick, alternate leaves 1 to 2 inches in length.[1] It has small white flowers growing in clusters, similar in appearance to most members of the rose family, Rosaceae, flowering from March to May.[1] The flowers are terminal on small stalks, with the youngest at the cluster center. The purple to black fruit is sweet,with a very thick pulp around a large single stone (drupe).[1]
The plant is prized for cultivation, showy and easily grown from seed, and has been cultivated for hundreds of years (or more) as a food source, and tolerates twice yearly pruning when often used as a hedge.[1] The plant likes full sun, loose open soil (porous), and tolertes drought conditions well, but needs regular watering when young.[1] Bees are attracted to it.[1]
Native Americans fermented the fruit into a drink used to get intoxicated.[1] "Prunus" comes from the old Latin for "plum". "Ilici - folia means "holly like - leaves".[1] This is the only species of the genus Prunus native to the Santa Monica Mountains that divide the Los Angeles basin from the San Fernando Valley, California.[1]
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It is an evergreen shrub[1] or small tree up to 15 m tall, with dense, hard leaves[1] (sclerophyllous) foliage. The leaves are 1.6-12 cm long with a 4–25 mm petiole and spiny margins, somewhat resembling those of the holly, hence its English name. The leaves are dark green when mature and generally shiny on top, and have a smell resembling almonds when crushed. The flowers are small (1-5 mm), white, produced on racemes in the spring. The fruit is a cherry 12–25 mm diameter, edible[1] and sweet, but contains little flesh surrounding the smooth seed.[5][6][7]
There are two subspecies:[8][9][10]
Prunus ilicifolia is native to California chaparral and foothill woodlands along the Coast Ranges below 1,600 m.[5] Its distribution extends from northern Baja California along the California coast to the northernmost extent of the Coast Ranges,[5], as well as into the desert chaparral areas of the Mojave desert. In chaparral communities, it tends to inhabit north-facing slopes, erosion channels, or other moist, cool sites.[4]
It is a persistent member of chaparral communities, being slow-growing but long-lived; common chaparral flora associates are toyon, western poison-oak and coffeeberry.[11] In the absence of fire, P. ilicifolia will outlive or outshade surrounding vegetation, making room for seedlings. Eventually, it will form extensive stands codominated by scrub oak.[4]
Although it will resprout from the stump after fires, the seeds are not fire-adapted like those of many other chaparral plants.[12] Instead, it relies on the natural death of surrounding vegetation during long periods of fire-free conditions to make room for its seedlings.[4]
It has been reported that the seeds will only germinate after an acid treatment, such as that received when they pass through the digestive tracts of coyotes or birds which feed on the fruits. The coyotes are discouraged from eating the seeds themselves by cyanide, which is released from the seeds if they are cracked.[10] Others report germination levels are high with only suitable moisture and temperature levels. The seeds are also reported to require sunlight to germinate.[12] However, near 100% germination rates have been achieved with wild-collected seed buried completely in pots with a peatlite mix.[13]
The caterpillars of the pale swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) feed on this and other members of the riparian woodland plant community.[10]
Prunus ilicifolia is used in California native plants and wildlife gardens, and drought-tolerant sustainable landscaping.