Prunus Species, Holly-Leaf Cherry

This is a California evergreen native plant. The berries should not be eaten by people since the pits have cyanide in them. (See Carol ...Read MoreBornstein et al, "California Native Plants for the Garden", p. 156.) Birds may eat them, although the berries have very little flesh on them.

this shrub grows here in the drought-striken high desert where we have gotten maybe 6" or rain in two years... yet looks as happy as ever...Read More. They are growing all over here at about 3000'. Trees are full of cherries in end of summer, but they are an acquired taste, not to mention their pits are about 98% of the volume of the entire fruit. Would take a LOT of cherries to fill up on. Skin is a bit leathery and bitter, too... but still, they are somethings you can 'eat' in the desert when there is nothing else.

After wandering through the brush for several hours it becomes clear that little, if anything, is eating these cherries, other than me. No signs of bird damage (my own cherries at home disappear almost the second they show any red coloration, thanks to bird predation). No insect damage, either... leaves show far more predation damage, from grasshoppers and caterpillars, than fruit does. There are tons of this fruit, and yet no sign of anything eating it... even local coyote scat is devoid of cherry pits. Don't think this plant is gonna get any awards for tastiest cherry, though it sure should for most prolific fruiting shrub without ANY supplemental water.