toyon Rosaceae Heteromeles
arbutifolia (Lindl.) M. Roem.
symbol: HEAR5
Leaf: Alternate, evergreen, oblong to lanceolate, 2 to 4 inches long, sharply serrated and bristle tipped, leathery, shiny dark green above, yellow-green beneath.
Flower: Showy, spike-like, many branched, terminal cluster of small (1/4 inch) white flowers, appearing in late spring and early summer.
Fruit: Small (1/4 inch) red (occasionally yellow) pome ripening in late summer and fall, persistent in winter.
Twig: Slender, yellow-green to reddish brown to gray, initially quite hairy, but later becoming smooth.
Bark: Smooth, reddish gray with small lenticels.
Form: Large shrub to small tree typically with a short trunk and numerous limbs.