Prunus ilicifolia

Prunus ilicifolia (Hollyleaf cherry or Evergreen cherry; Salinan Native American: IslayE.G. Gudde (1946). The Solution of the Islay Problem. California Folklore Quarterly 5 (3): 298-299 (Gudde concludes that the word "islay" originated in a Salinan word slay; Islay was the Spanish version of their word).) is a species in the genus Prunus, native to coastal California and northern Baja California.Germplasm Resources Information Network: Prunus ilicifoliaFire Effects Information Service, USDA Forest Service: Prunus ilicifolia
==Description==
It is an evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 m tall, with dense, sclerophyllous foliage. The leaves are 1.6-12 cm long with a 4–25 mm petiole and spiny margins, somewhat resembling those of the holly, hence its English name; they are dark green when mature and generally shiny on top, and have a smell resembling almonds when crushed. The flowers are small (1-5 mm), white, produced on racemes in the spring. The fruit is a cherry 12–25 mm diameter, edible and sweet, but contains little flesh surrounding the smooth seed.Jepson Flora: Prunus ilicifoliaMunz, Philip A. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press.Conrad, C. E. (1987). Common shrubs of chaparral and associated ecosystems of southern California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-99. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 
===Subspecies===
There are two subspecies:Jepson Flora: Prunus ilicifolia subsp. ilicifoliaJepson Flora: Prunus ilicifolia subsp. lyoniiSchoenherr, A. A. (1993). A Natural History of California. University of California Press, Berkeley.
*Prunus ilicifolia subsp. ilicifolia. Mainland California and Baja California. Fruit red, 12–18 mm diameter.
*Prunus ilicifolia subsp. lyonii (Eastw.) Raven. Catalina cherry. Channel Islands of California (San Clemente, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Island islands). Fruit blue-black, 15–25 mm diameter.
==Common Names==
Hollyleaf Cherry, Evergreen Cherry
==Requirements==
*Dry soil
*Sun
*
==Characteristics==
*Can grow up to 9 meters in height
*The pit of the fruit is toxic
*Adapted to fire and will resprout from the root crown
*Can be used as a hedge
==References==
Category:Perennials
Category:Shrubs