Prunus ilicifolia subsp. ilicifolia

Islay, holly-leafed cherry, Holly-Leafed Cherry

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Islay is a California native shrub found in southern North Coast Ranges, central western California, and southwestern California (excluding Channel Islands) in canyons, slopes, scrubland, and woodland at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces white flowers with distinctive spiny-serrate leaves. Growing up to 9 meters tall with an upright, rounded form, it develops sturdy woody branches. Its leaves are widely ovate to round, featuring wavy margins with spiny serrations and acute to rounded tips, measuring 3 to 10 millimeters at the petiole. The fruit is typically red, approximately 12 to 18 millimeters long, adding visual interest to the shrub's structure.

Habitat: Canyons, slopes, scrubland, woodland

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: < 1600 m

Bioregions: s NCoR, CW, SW (exc ChI)

California counties: San Bernardino, San Diego, Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, San Benito, Monterey, Solano, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, Butte, Napa, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Imperial

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.