Practical
Plants

Photinia arbutifolia

Christmas Berry

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Photinia genus in the family Rosaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
6 m
Spread
8 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[12][18][2][6][10]. The fruits are 5 - 6mm across[11], they taste like common haws (Crataegus monogyna)[3]. Mealy, astringent and acid[14][16]. Best if a little sugar is added to sweeten them. They can also be dried, ground into a powder and made into a mush or fermented into a cider[6]. A slight cooking removes any bitter taste[17]. Native North American Indians would often place them in a basket close to the fire and keep turning them until they had wilted before eating them[10].

Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An infusion of the bark and leaves has been used as a wash for infected wounds[10]. A decoction of the leaves has been used in the treatment of stomach aches, plus various other aches and pains[15][17][10].

Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A golden brown dye is obtained from the leaves and stems[4]. Dark olive-green and black dyes are obtained from the leaves and berries[4]. The fruit-covered branches are gathered in large quantities in California and used as Christmas decorations in much the same way as holly is used in Britain[14]. Wood - very heavy, hard, close-grained[14].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California.
Habitat
Semi-dry brushy slopes and in canyons below 1200 metres[13]. It is usually found in the neighbourhood of streams or on dry hills, especially on north-facing slopes[14]. Often on steep sea-cliffs[14].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Stored seed will probably require a period of cold stratification and should be sown as early in the year as possible. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[7]. Basal cuttings in a frame[8]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a well-drained fertile soil in a sheltered position in sun or light shade[8]. Tolerates calcareous soils[8]. Plants are tolerant of drought and poor conditions[11]. This species is not very hardy in Britain[5], tolerating temperatures down to about -7°c[11]. It succeeds outdoors from south Surrey southwards and westwards[1]. There are some named varieties, selected for their ornamental value[6]. The flowers have a scent similar to hawthorns and are pleasant when smelt from a distance, though less than pleasant when smelt close-to[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  4. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩1↩2

  5. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

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  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  10. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  11. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  13. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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  14. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  15. Coyle. J. and Roberts. N. C. A Field Guide to the Common and Interesting Plants of Baja California. Natural History Publishing Co. 1975-00-00

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  16. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

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  17. Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-520-00072-2

    ↩1↩2

  18. Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962-00-00 ISBN 0-911010-54-8

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