Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) aka Christmas Berry

Toyon stands out Novemeber to January with big bunches of bright red berries.

January		April		July		October
Leaves always present
Berries	Black old berries		White flowers		Pale green berries		Red berries

Field ID Tips

· Oval, serrated, fairly stiff, pointed leaves about 3”

· Main vein in center of leaf, vein branches often branch again before getting to leaf edge.

· Clusters of small white flowers.

· Red berries in big clumps, showing 5 parts at the bottom

Leaves have a strong central vein and strong serrations.

Flowers first turn into light green berries

Berries turn red in November.

Old berries turn black, and stay on the plant for a while.

Links:

Calphotos

Wikipedia

Mountain Home to West Point Shrubs

Glorious red berries make this plant stand out from November to January.

In mid summer, flowers consolidate into pale yellow-green berries that will turn bright red in November..

Note the 5-part separation at the end of each berry. This distinguishes toyon from madrone and coffeeberry, which have similar sized red berries.

<<<NEED PHOTO OF FLOWERS>>>