Porte (maduro) - Miguel Vieira / Wikimedia Commons - CC BY 2.0
Cobertura limitada
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
El arbusto siempreverde emblemático del chaparral californiano y las colinas costeras — hojas coriáceas de color verde oscuro con bordes finamente dentados, racimos planos de pequeñas flores blancas de verano y las brillantes pomas rojas que le valieron los nombres de "baya de Navidad" y "acebo de California" (y que, según se dice, dieron nombre al barrio de Hollywood a través de las colinas de Hollywood). Longevo y profundamente tolerante a la sequía; las bayas invernales alimentan a más de veinte especies de aves cuando pocas otras plantas están fructificando.
Native: CA
Climate fit: moderate (46/100)
Structure
Focal point
Pollinator
Light
Full sun / Part sun / Part shade
Water
Low water
Mature size
72-240" tall · 72" apart
Hardy in zones
7a-11b
cold to nearly frost-free winters
AHS heat range
6-12
Plant range authored in AHS heat-zone terms.
Native in Illinois
No
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center señala que los pueblos indígenas cocinaban y comían las bayas, pero que "Son tóxicas en grandes cantidades" — las pomas contienen trazas de compuestos cianogénicos que la cocción elimina.
Cold hardiness
Future
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Won't grow here
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Marginal
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
✕→⚠
Out of range today, but marginally possible by 2050.
Heat tolerance
Future
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...
Where this plant fits
Suitable across 43 ecoregions — 40 climate-resilient through 2070 · 3 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests
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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests
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Arizona Mountains forests
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Atlantic coastal pine barrens
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Blue Mountains forests
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California coastal sage and chaparral
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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands
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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
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Central Tallgrass prairie
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Central-Southern Cascades Forests
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Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/heteromeles-arbutifolia
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
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Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes