Catalina Cherry

Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii

Description

The Catalina cherry grows into a large evergreen shrub to low branching tree, capable of reaching 25-30 ft. tall, spreading 6-20 ft. wide. Its dark glossy green leaves grow 3-5 in. long; attractive spikes of creamy-white flowers grow in spring. Numerous red berry-like fruits with large seeds are produced in summer and mature to black and are valued by wildlife.

This subspecies of the native cherry is native to coastal areas and to the Channel Islands of southern California and Baja California. It is a handsome foliage plant that is mostly planted to become a tall screen plant or small tree on slopes and background areas in residential gardens. It combines well with many California natives and adapts to partial shade with low amounts of summer water.

Plant Type: Tree, Shrub, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Upright, Low-branching, Dense
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Dark green
Flower Color: Cream
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Moist soil, Deep soil
Exposure Adaptations: Morning sun, Heat, Drought, All day sun, Partial sun
Function: Wildlife value, Slopes, Screening, Restoration, Parks and open space, Attracts butterflies, Foundations, Foliage accent plant, Flowering accent plant, Espalier, Banks, Background plant, Attracts bees
Height: 25 ft. – 30 ft.
Width: 6 ft. – 25 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

Prune by heading back as much of the new-ish growth as desired and shape to encourage long-term nice form and branching pattern in May (1). Feel free to lightly prune outer branches if shaping is needed in early Fall, but try to reserve any more substantial pruning for late spring (1). Pruning can be used to shape Catalina cherry into a small tree or dense hedge. If hedging, remember to taper the hedge, narrower at the top, and wider at the base, so it gets good sunlight access to the entire plant (2). References