# Hollyleaf Cherry (*prunus ilicifolia*) The Hollyleaf Cherry is a beautiful plant with shiny, green leaves that look like spiky stars! It produces small, sweet cherries that some birds and animals love to eat. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Hollyleaf Cherry grows in dry, sunny areas such as chaparral and coastal regions. - **Also known as:** California Cherry, Holly Cherry, Hollyleaf ![Hollyleaf Cherry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Prunus_ilicifolia_ne1.jpg&width=800) Photo: No machine-readable author provided. NoahElhardt assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunus_ilicifolia_ne1.jpg) ## Appearance The Hollyleaf Cherry is an evergreen shrub or small tree with distinctively spiny, dark green, leathery leaves resembling holly. It produces small, white flowers in elongated clusters, followed by small, round, red to dark purple cherries. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Prunus ## Interesting facts - It produces a tiny, cherry-like fruit that's a tasty treat for birds! - Its tough, holly-like leaves helped it get the name "Hollyleaf Cherry"! - Native Californians traditionally ground its nutritious seeds into flour! - This resilient plant can live for many hundreds of years in the wild! ## Special abilities - **Spiny Armor:** Hollyleaf Cherry has tough, spiny leaves that help protect it from hungry animals and reduce water loss. - **Drought Defender:** Hollyleaf Cherry can survive long dry spells thanks to its deep root system, which finds underground water. - **Fire Fighter:** Hollyleaf Cherry has thick bark and can resprout quickly from its base after wildfires, helping it recover. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-800 cm - **Spread:** 200-600 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from its flowers - **Eaten by:** American black bear (*Ursus americanus*) — enjoys the ripe, fleshy fruit - **Eaten by:** [Mule deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — browses its evergreen leaves, especially in winter - **Eaten by:** [Western Bluebird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-bluebird) (*Sialia mexicana*) — relishes the small, sweet cherries - **Shelter:** [Dark-eyed Junco](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dark-eyed-junco) (*Junco hyemalis*) — builds nests and hides in its dense foliage ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before tasting any wild plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Hollyleaf Cherry? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Hollyleaf Cherry? 300-800 cm ### How wide does Hollyleaf Cherry spread? 200-600 cm ### How big are the flowers on Hollyleaf Cherry? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Hollyleaf Cherry bloom? Spring ### Is Hollyleaf Cherry edible? Yes ### Is Hollyleaf Cherry toxic? Mild ### What is Hollyleaf Cherry's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Gaviota State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gaviota-state-park) — California, US · State Park - [Campo de Cahuenga](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/campo-de-cahuenga) — California, US · Historic District - [Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chumash-painted-cave-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park - [Golden Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/golden-hill) — California, US · Neighborhood - [Pasadena Civic Center District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pasadena-civic-center-district) — California, US · Historic District [View all places to see Hollyleaf Cherry](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/hollyleaf-cherry) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Hollyleaf Cherry: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hollyleaf-cherry)