How to Grow Toyon (California Holly)

Heteromeles arbutifolia

Otherwise known as toyon, California holly, or Christmas berry, Heteromeles arbutifolia is an excellent slope-stabilizing and habitat plant, host to myriad insects including pollinating butterflies and moths.

An iconic staple of California chaparral and oak woodlands, this evergreen shrub grows most commonly on north facing slopes and in canyons.

Low maintenance and with minimal water requirements once established, this monoecious plant is an excellent choice for native wildlife gardens.

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Resilient in the face of flames, toyon easily resprouts after wildfire.

With so much recent and dramatic loss of wildlife and habitat, cultivating healthy relationships with native plant communities is a need that’s now more important than ever.

Keep reading to learn more about this California native shrub:

Here’s what I’ll cover:

Leathery, dark green leaves with serrated edges and pale undersides shape the woody contours of this species, with the rough gray bark giving way to tender, fuzzy red stems and supple light green leaves of new growth.

Growing to over 10 feet, often taller than it is wide, this shrub also has the potential to grow into a small tree. Older, more established plants can sometimes top 20 feet tall!

In summer, clusters of lightly scented white rose-like flowers attract bees and butterflies, while vibrant red berries in the winter provide abundant forage for birds.

Cut into one of these tiny berries – or, more accurately, pomes – and you’ll find its insides are similar to the inside of an apple.

Toyon is the sole species in the genus Heteromeles and is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae.

Previously, it was classified as a species of Photinia so you may encounter the name Photinia arbutifolia in reference to this plant.

The common name “toyon” is a Spanish transliteration of the indigenous name “tottcon,” used by the Ohlone Native Americans of the central and northern California coast.

Indigenous groups such as the Ohlone, Chumash, and Tongva tribes used the berries as a source of food and medicine, as well as the wood for constructing home goods, weaponry, and offertory poles.

In 2012, toyon was declared the official native plant of the City of Los Angeles.

How to Grow

Hardy in Zones 7 through 10, for optimal wildlife and habitat purposes, it is best to grow this plant in areas where the species is native – predominantly western portions of California and the Sierra foothills.

This species does best in full sun to part shade conditions and can grow in a variety of soil types, including sandy, clay, and serpentine soils. A pH range of 5.0 to 7.8 is tolerated.

When established, toyon requires little water. For the first few months after planting, give them a deep and thorough watering once a week.

Then slowly begin to ease up on watering so that you’re just watering once every couple of weeks.

Water only when the top three to four inches of soil are thoroughly dry.

As with other California native plants, there is no need for soil amendments or fertilizer. If anything, apply mulch regularly.

Where to Buy

You can generally find transplants at nurseries that specialize in native plants – especially in California – and online.

H. arbutifolia

If you prefer to shop online you can find H. arbutifolia available from Nature Hills Nursery.

There is one cultivated variety that is similar in stature and overall appearance to the species plant, ‘Davis Gold.’

This one sports white blooms in summer and golden yellow pomes instead of the more traditional holly red.

Originally grown from seed collected in 1962 on Santa Catalina Island, this selection reportedly made its way into the plant trade back in 1962 thanks to a UC Davis grad student by the name of Charles Filmer.

Filmer recognized that the specimen, planted on the UC Davis campus, was easier to propagate vegetatively than others and named it ‘Davis Gold.’

Maintenance

H. arbutifolia responds well to pruning. The plant can be encouraged to take on a multi-stemmed, shrub-like form or a sculpted tree shape, with a single leader or a few main branches.

Flowers and fruit are produced on new growth, so prune during winter or early spring after the plant has reached the end of its fruiting cycle. Cut back any dead or diseased branches as you see them.

Pinch off the tips of the branches to encourage dense foliage.

Propagation

You can grow your own H. arbutifolia by seed, from cuttings, or by purchasing a plant from your local nursery.

From Seed

Growing toyon from seed isn’t difficult, but it does require some patience and preparation.

The seeds are contained inside the fleshy red fruit, so the first step is extracting and cleaning them. Once that’s done, the rest is straightforward.

Here’s how:

1. Collect the red berries when they are ripe.
2. Remove the pulp to reveal the seed capsules.
3. Break open the seed capsules by rubbing them against a fine sieve. Let them dry overnight in the sieve.
4. Separate the seeds from the remaining debris using a fan or a hair dryer on low heat.
5. Store seeds in a dated paper bag in the refrigerator if you are not going to sow them immediately.
6. Sow in late fall or early winter in a fast-draining cactus or succulent mix blended with native soil.
7. Scatter seeds about an inch apart on the surface of flats, or sow multiple in a container and thin to the strongest later.
8. Keep the soil evenly moist by misting until germination, which should happen within two weeks at room temperature.
9. Transplant seedlings into individual containers when they develop their first true leaves.

With a bit of effort, you can have a tray full of healthy young toyon plants ready to transplant into the garden come spring.

From Cuttings

Propagating toyon from cuttings is an easy way to multiply your plants, especially if you want to clone a particular specimen.

New growth harvested in spring or early summer offers the best chance of success.

Here’s how:

1. Take cuttings in the morning from a well-hydrated plant, snipping just above a leaf node. Aim for long pieces of fresh, pliable growth.
2. Store cuttings in a plastic bag with a spritz of water to keep them moist until you’re ready to work.
3. Prepare three-inch pots by filling them with 80 to 100 percent perlite with the rest horticultural sand.
4. Trim the cuttings into three- to four-inch segments with at least one to three nodes that will be buried.
5. Make cuts at a 45-degree angle between nodes, strip the lower leaves, and leave the top foliage intact.
6. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone to encourage root development.
7. Insert cuttings into the pots, packing them tightly together to maintain humidity. Each three-inch pot can hold about 20 cuttings.
8. Place in bright, indirect light and mist well. Keep the growing medium consistently moist.
9. Transplant after rooting, typically in a month, into a mix of cactus soil and native soil in individual four-inch containers. Detangle roots gently and water when the soil feels dry.

When they are reliably producing new foliage you can transplant into the garden.

Transplanting

Choose a location in full to part sun with enough space to accommodate mature dimensions.

Clear any mulch from the area and dig a hole as deep and twice as wide as the container the plant is currently growing in. Avoid mixing mulch into the soil.

Fill the hole with water and let it drain. Fast drainage indicates sandy soil. If it takes more than 30 minutes, the soil is likely heavy clay. This will help guide your future watering schedule.

Remove the plant from its container, tease out the roots if they’re compacted, and place it in the hole. Backfill with native soil, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets.

Pests and Disease

Though H. arbutifolia is a hardy and long-lived plant, various pests and diseases may cause trouble.

Fortunately, such issues can be easily thwarted by encouraging beneficial insects, a bit of targeted pruning, and if need be, low-risk insecticides.

Herbivores

Though toyon is mostly resistant to herbivore predation, deer will still nibble on new growth in dry years.

In areas where deer are prevalent, you can provide protection for the plants to help them become established.

Insects

Toyon will give off clear signs of distress when bothered by insect infestations – namely via leaf discoloration and premature dropping.

Here are the main ones to watch for:

Soft Scale

Scale are small sucking insects that attach themselves to the stems, leaves, and fruit.

If infested, plants often appear water stressed, with leaves turning yellow and dropping prematurely.

Scale is typically well controlled by beneficial insect predators and parasites.

Thrips

These minute, slender pests are most commonly found on plants with dense foliage and limited airflow, or those grown in too much shade.

Thrips will puncture and suck the sap from the plant, leaving it discolored and scarred.

These pests rarely cause serious injury, but may noticeably affect the plant’s cosmetic appearance, and can ultimately stunt plant growth if left unaddressed. 

Use your hose to spray them off, or apply soapy water or horticultural oil.

Otherwise, you can simply wait for the thrips’ predators to arrive. Ladybugs, lacewings, and cucumeris mites are just a few that may be enticed to join your garden party.

Read more about thrips here.

Lace Bugs

Lace bugs are tiny, semi-transparent insects that feed on the underside of leaves by sucking the plant’s photosynthetic tissue fluids. This causes leaf discoloration and stippling.

They do not present a serious threat to overall plant health.

Hot, full sun conditions may provide an ideal climate for lace bugs to convene.

Toyon plants grown in part shade with less extreme heat exposure do not generally have problems.

Read more about lace bug identification and control here.

Disease

Good garden practices such as proper irrigation and selective pruning will help to prevent the onset and spread of most diseases.

Here are a few potential diseases you may encounter:

Collar, Foot, and Crown Rots

Root and stem rot is most likely a result of improper irrigation. Avoid extremes in soil moisture by watering deeply and infrequently.

Clay soils drain much more slowly than sand, so be sure to check the soil moisture with your finger or a moisture meter before watering to prevent oversaturation.

Fire Blight

Fire blight is a bacterial disease that causes branches to die back. In spring, branches and trunks may show symptoms, with fluid oozing from cankers.

Open flowers are the most common site of infection, ultimately leading to wilt and dead, blackened leaves and fruit – giving the shrub a tough, scorched appearance.

Scab

Scab is a fungal disease that causes spotting and premature dropping of leaves and fruit.

It first appears as pale or yellow spots, then darkens to brown-gray discoloration on leaves, fruits, and occasionally stems as well.

Remove all infected debris from the ground to prevent further spread.

Scab thrives in humid, rainy, or heavily irrigated conditions, so prune dense canopies to improve air circulation, and above all, avoid overwatering.

Cultivating Relationships

Working with plants native to your area allows you to develop relationships with not just the plant itself, but the land, the history, and all of the beings that have passed through.

Cultivating toyon can lead to all sorts of connections with wildlife, including mockingbirds, American robins, and cedar waxwings – just a handful of the birds that like to feast on the red California holly fruit.

Drop a comment below on your experience working with toyon and other California native plants – we’d love to hear from you!

And for more information about growing shrubs in your garden, check out some of these guides next:

• Create a Sustainable Landscape with Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern US
• How to Grow and Care for Juniper Shrubs
• Restoring Habitat with Charlotte Adelman and Bernard Schwartz’s Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees