Heteromeles arbutifolia

Heteromeles arbutifolia, the toyon, Christmas berry or California holly, is a large evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Rosaceae endemic to California, southwestern Oregon and Baja California, where it is a characteristic component of chaparral, oak woodland and the margins of coastal sage scrub. It typically reaches 2 to 8 metres in height, occasionally taller, with smooth grey bark on younger stems becoming furrowed with age, and a broadly rounded, densely branched crown. The thick, leathery, alternate leaves are elliptic to oblong, 5 to 10 centimetres long, dark glossy green above and paler beneath, with sharply serrate margins. In early to mid-summer it bears large flat-topped panicles of small fragrant white five-petalled flowers, succeeded in autumn and winter by dense clusters of bright red, occasionally yellow, pome-like fruits about 5 to 10 millimetres in diameter, persistent into late winter. The conspicuous holly-like red berries against the dark foliage gave rise to the name California holly, from which the Hollywood district of Los Angeles is said to take its name.