Stats

Lifespan: 100-200 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Mediterranean chaparral
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

Toyon is the only species in its genus — a California native shrub whose bright red winter berries are said to have inspired the name "Hollywood." The clusters of crimson fruit ripen November through January and are a vital winter food source for cedar waxwings, American robins, and other birds.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Heteromeles
Species: Heteromeles arbutifolia