Winter's red and green

Often we hear about the amazing attributes of trees- the majestic redwood, the venerable oak, the elegant willow. Trees are well respected, found in poetry and literature. Likewise the beauty of the wildflower is well sung. Beyond trees and flowers, certain other plants are esteemed for their edible and medicinal properties. Yet, in the past few weeks, it is not the trees or flowers that catch my attention, it is the seldom celebrated shrub.

Rarely, if ever, do you hear of the mighty shrub's attributes. Barely are you drawn to the beauty of a shrub's showy flowers. Shrubs' flowers are often small and inconspicuous. Monty Python even ridicules the shrub. But without acknowledging the lowly shrub, we are influenced by these plants each day. They play an extremely important role in the Santa Monica Mountains' chaparral habitat, providing shelter, food and nutrients. The majority of the chaparral is made up of low growing shrubs. In fact, many different types of shrubs comprise most of the greenery we see when looking at the hillsides.

Just what is a shrub? Shrubs are often found in the same field guides as trees; both have woody, rather than tender green stems. Shrubs are perennials, living year after year. They differ from trees in that they seldom grow more than 20 feet high and have multiple woody stems, rather than one main trunk. Examples of shrubs that you may come across are coyote brush, laurel sumac, coffee berry and toyon.

The Hollywood connection

Toyon, or Heteromeles arbutifolia, is very noticeable at this time of year as it is covered in bright red berries. A local folk tale gives toyon credit for lending its name to Hollywood. When Los Angeles was being developed, what is now the Hollywood Hills area was covered by shrubs that looked remarkably like holly. Toyon was mistakenly called holly; thus Hollywood received its name. It is now known that the "holly" was toyon, not even a relative, but the name stuck.

Toyon is identified by its elliptical, leathery leaves. Evergreen, they are 2 to 4 inches long. The leaves are alternate and have toothed margins. The flowers of June and July are small and white, clustered at the end of branches. From October through December, the toyon fruits, producing bright red, quarter-inch berries. This shrub has multiple trunks and commonly grows to 15 feet high. Toyon can be found along the coastal mountains and foothills of the Central Valley, growing on dry slopes, stream sides and among the chaparral. It is not found in the desert and rarely is seen at altitudes above 4,000 feet.

Practical and soothing

Beyond its attractive red berries, toyon has practical and edible uses. The Chumash used its long straight limbs to make arrows. Other tools made from the wood are wedges, awls, hide scrapers and cooking implements. Possibly the fishing nets and sails of the Catalina fishermen were tanned using toyon bark. Tea made from the bark soothed stomach aches.

The berries are edible, but rarely eaten raw due to their bitterness. To lessen the bitterness, the berries were prepared in a number of different ways. They were sometimes roasted by being thrown into a basket with hot coals or pebbles. The Spanish boiled or steamed the berries by placing them in a hot, moist cloth. They were also prepared by placing them in a bag with sugar and cooking them in a slow oven. Settlers made cider from the berries.

Shrubs from seed

Toyon is a popular landscape plant, easily grown and requiring little care. As a native California plant it is well suited to our arid climate. You can gather fresh seeds and propagate this shrub. It is a good idea to place the seed in a container for germination through its first year before trans

ferring it to a permanent location. The shrub will begin to flower and fruit in its third year. Beyond being a beautiful and sustainable landscape plant, the toyon is beneficial to the garden, attracting useful pollinators.

Toyon is highly visible this time of year among the chaparral. The shades of bright red and dark green give a definite feeling of winter. But if you are not able to get out on the trails, you will also spot toyon while driving along Mulholland Highway and Malibu Canyon Road.