Toyon is one of the premier evergreen native plants of California. It grows into a large evergreen shrub to small tree with a mounding habit, easily reaching 12-18 ft. tall and more. Dense foliage is comprised of dark green leathery leaves with serrated margins. Clusters of creamy-white flowers occur from late spring into summer that mature into colorful orange to red berries from fall through winter. Ripe berries are valued by many bird species.
Toyon is widely distributed throughout California in the chaparral and oak woodland plant communities. It prefers well-drained soils, full sun and tolerates summer drought conditions. It grows well throughout the Inland Empire and is particularly well suited to native gardens where its attractive foliage and fruit is appreciated for screening and background plantings. Mature plants can be pruned to expose branching character and to encourage a more tree-like habit.
