Prunus ilicifolia lyonii

Catalina Cherry
Rosaceae
Evergreen, Shrubs, Trees

PRUNUS

This rich genus includes everything from English laurel to flowering apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums. (For edible varieties, see individual listings for apricot, cherry, peach, plum, and plum hybridss.)

Ornamental species and forms can be divided into two categories: evergreen and deciduous. Evergreen types are used chiefly as hedges, screens, shade trees, street trees. Deciduous flowering trees and shrubs, closely related to the fruit trees mentioned above, are valued for their winter or spring floral display as well as for attractive shape and for foliage form, texture, and sometimes even fall color. Many of these deciduous kinds offer a bonus of edible fruit.

Prunus ilicifolia lyonii

Native to California’s Channel Islands. In the wild, plants can grow as trees to 45 ft. tall and over 30 ft. wide, but in gardens they’re more often seen as giant shrubs to 15’20 ft. high and wide. Glossy, oval to elliptical leaves to 2 in. long are light green when new, maturing to a rich deep green; they are smooth edged or very faintly toothed. Flowers identical to those of P. i. ilicifolia; fruit is darker red to almost black.