Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is a perennial shrub endemic (native) to western California and the Sierra foothills. It is a key component of the coastal sage scrub plant community, as well as drought-tolerant chaparral and mixed oak woodland habitats.
Because of the brilliant red berries it produces, it is also known as Christmas berry and California Holly. Birds such as mockingbirds, American robins, and cedar waxwings eat the berries. Mammals such as coyotes and bears consume and distribute the berries.
Status of Toyon
Due to overharvesting under The Protected Tree and Shrub Ordinance, it has been banned in Los Angeles County since 2021 to harvest toyon cuttings on public or private land without the consent of the owner.
Case in point, make sure you ask before collecting!
Identifying Toyon
Size & Leaves
Toyon typically grows to be approximately 8 feet tall, although some outstanding examples in the Los Padres National Forest reach heights of over 30 feet.
It has evergreen, alternating, finely serrated leaves that are 5 cm long and 2 cm broad. The leaves are also smooth and waxy
Flowers & Berries
Toyon blooms in thick clusters of little white flowers 6mm in diameter in early summer.
The petals are all rounded. Butterflies and other insects visit the blossoms, which have a gentle, hawthorn-like aroma.
The fruit is tiny, brilliant red, and berry-like, and is abundant, ripening in the fall and lasting long into the winter.
Toyon belongs of the Rose Family, thus the berries nearly appear like small apples. Many commercial plants are members of the rose family that we consume, like plums, peaches, and apples, and ornamentals such as roses (duh).
Foraging Tips: When and How to Harvest Toyon
Fall to Early Winter
In the fall, the quarter-inch (6 mm) berries mature to a vivid red color.
When I find a Toyon that can I can forage for, I personally use a pair of garden or pruning clippers to snip off the branch ends that hold clusters of the berries.
Cleaning & Sorting
I recommend washing and processing Toyon berries after harvesting to eliminate any damaged ones. Gently rinse the berries under cold water to remove any dirt or insects. Once cleaned, spread them out to dry on a clean towel or paper towel. Remember to discard any berries that appear bruised, moldy, or otherwise damaged.
Edible & Medicinal Uses
What can you do with Toyon berries?
Many things actually.
As a defense mechanism, immature Toyon berries have high levels of bitter tannins and cyanide, which is why it’s advised you cook them.
Not only will it remove the toxins, it will be much more palatable. There are some incredible Toyon recipes out there which include:
- Fruit Leather
- Toyon Cider
- Toyon “Wild berry” sauce – a wild alternative to cranberry sauce
I have not yet had the privilege of preparing Toyon this season, so TBA on how-to recipes. I will link a wonderful blog >>Here<< for excellent Toyon recipes, which I will follow soon.
Medicinal Uses
There’s no shortage of Indigenous medicinal uses for Toyon, namely from the Chumash, Cahuilla, and Ohlone tribes (and most likely others).
What I will mention here is that the plant has been utilized as a remedy for Alzheimer’s disease by indigenous Californians, and modern study has discovered a variety of active chemicals that may be advantageous to Alzheimer’s treatment. These include icaricide chemicals, which protect the blood-brain barrier and prevent inflammatory cells from infiltrating the brain.
I hope this gave you a quick glimpse on what you would need to know to forager for your own Toyon. Remember that without a written permit from the land owner, you cannot forage for wild toyon.
References
Garza, N., Lindner, S., & Case, C. Antibacterial Activity Of Heteromeles arbutifolia, An Ethnomedicinal Plant Historically Used By Native Americans.
Protected Tree & Shrub Regulations – Los Angeles. Protected Tree & Shrub Regulations. (n.d.). https://planning.lacity.org/odocument/555281f6-f5ef-44e9-b094-1fce25c1c4dc
Wang X, Dubois R, Young C, Lien EJ, Adams JD. Heteromeles Arbutifolia, a Traditional Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, Phytochemistry and Safety. Medicines (Basel). 2016 Jul 7;3(3):17. doi: 10.3390/medicines3030017. PMID: 28930127; PMCID: PMC5456246.
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