Prunus ilicifolia
Holly-Leaved Cherry

Uses

Toxic parts

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where most, if not all members of the genus produce hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. This toxin is found mainly in the leaves and seed and is readily detected by its bitter taste. It is usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm but any very bitter seed or fruit should not be eaten. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death.

Edible uses

Notes

Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use^[1]^[2]^[3]. A pleasant tart taste^[4]^[5], it is considered by some people to be a great delicacy^[6]. A thin, slightly acid, astringent flesh^[7]. The fruit can be mixed with lemon to make a sauce^[3]. The fruit only has a very thin flesh, it is about 15mm in diameter and contains one large seed^[8]^[5]. Seed - raw or cooked^[1]^[9]^[6]. The seed can be ground into a meal, leached to remove the bitterness and then mixed with flour to make bread etc^[3]. The seed meal can be leached by placing it in a basket and then pouring warm water over it^[6]. Do not eat the seed if it is too bitter - see the notes above on toxicity.

Fruit

Unknown use

Seed

Unknown use

Material uses

A green dye can be obtained from the leaves^[10].

A dark grey to green dye can be obtained from the fruit^[10].

Wood - heavy, hard, strong, close grained. Usually too small to be of commercial importance, it is used mainly as a fuel^[7]^[5].

Unknown part

Dye

Wood

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

An infusion of the leaves, or of the bark and roots, has been used as a cough medicine^[6]. Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, all members of the genus contain amygdalin and prunasin, substances which break down in water to form hydrocyanic acid (cyanide or prussic acid). In small amounts this exceedingly poisonous compound stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being^[11].

Unknown part

Pectoral

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - requires 2 - 3 months cold stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe^[8]. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as early in the year as possible^[8]. Protect the seed from mice etc. The seed can be rather slow, sometimes taking 18 months to germinate^[12]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.

Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in a frame^[13]^[8]. Softwood cuttings from strongly growing plants in spring to early summer in a frame^[8].

Layering in spring.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Prunus ilicifolia. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil^[13]. Succeeds in a hot dry position. Succeeds in full sun but prefers a position with some shade^[8]. Thrives in a loamy soil, doing well on limestone^[13]. Prefers some chalk in the soil but it is apt to become chlorotic if too much is present^[14].

This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it should succeed when grown against a sunny wall in the milder areas of the country^[15]^[16]. Young plants are very susceptible to frost damage, though they become somewhat hardier as they age^[16]. It is hardy in the mildest areas of the country^[13]. Trees are moderately fast-growing when young, though they slow with age. They often live more than 100 years in the wild^[5]. Heavy fruit crops are produced periodically^[5]. The flowers are sweetly scented^[17]. Most members of this genus are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged^[11].

This species is notably resistant to honey fungus^[8].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Prunus ilicifolia. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Prunus ilicifolia.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.0^1.1^1.2 Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press ISBN 0-520-00072-2 (1975-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1 Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. ()
? ^3.0^3.1^3.2^3.3 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1^5.2^5.3^5.4^5.5^5.6 Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. ISBN 0442238622 (1980-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3^6.4^6.5 Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-453-9 (1998-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3^7.4 Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. ISBN 0-486-20278-X (1965-00-00)
? ^8.0^8.1^8.2^8.3^8.4^8.5^8.6^8.7^8.8 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? ^9.0^9.1 Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-050-0 (1977-00-00)
? ^10.0^10.1^10.2 Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. ISBN 0-02-544950-8 (1974-00-00)
? ^11.0^11.1^11.2 Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-7513-020-31 (1995-00-00)
? Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press ISBN 0942375009 (1987-00-00)
? ^13.0^13.1^13.2^13.3^13.4 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
? Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)
? ^16.0^16.1 Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins ISBN 0-00-219220-0 (1983-00-00)
? Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 (1994-00-00)

"image:Prunus ilicifolia flowers 2005-03-24.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-92-1] ? ^1.0^1.1^1.2 Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press ISBN 0-520-00072-2 (1975-00-00)

[PFAFimport-161-2] ? ^2.0^2.1 Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. ()

[PFAFimport-183-3] ? ^3.0^3.1^3.2^3.3 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-2-4] ? ^4.0^4.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)

[PFAFimport-229-5] ? ^5.0^5.1^5.2^5.3^5.4^5.5^5.6 Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. ISBN 0442238622 (1980-00-00)

[PFAFimport-257-6] ? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3^6.4^6.5 Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-453-9 (1998-00-00)

[PFAFimport-82-7] ? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3^7.4 Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. ISBN 0-486-20278-X (1965-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-8] ? ^8.0^8.1^8.2^8.3^8.4^8.5^8.6^8.7^8.8 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-16-9] ? ^9.0^9.1 Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-050-0 (1977-00-00)

[PFAFimport-168-10] ? ^10.0^10.1^10.2 Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. ISBN 0-02-544950-8 (1974-00-00)

[PFAFimport-238-11] ? ^11.0^11.1^11.2 Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-7513-020-31 (1995-00-00)

[PFAFimport-113-12] ? Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press ISBN 0942375009 (1987-00-00)

[PFAFimport-11-13] ? ^13.0^13.1^13.2^13.3^13.4 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-1-14] ? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

[PFAFimport-182-15] ? Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-219-16] ? ^16.0^16.1 Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins ISBN 0-00-219220-0 (1983-00-00)

[PFAFimport-245-17] ? Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 (1994-00-00)

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

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[10]

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[12]

[13]

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[17]

Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Rosaceae +
Belongs to genus	Prunus +
Has common name	Holly-Leaved Cherry +
Has drought tolerance	Intolerant +
Has edible part	Fruit + and Seeds +
Has edible use	Unknown use +
Has fertility type	Insects +
Has flowers of type	Hermaphrodite +
Has growth rate	Moderate +
Has hardiness zone	9 +
Has image	Prunus ilicifolia flowers 2005-03-24.jpg +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has material part	Unknown part +
Has material use	Dye + and Wood +
Has mature height	4 +
Has medicinal part	Unknown part +
Has medicinal use	Pectoral +
Has primary image	Prunus ilicifolia flowers 2005-03-24.jpg +
Has search name	prunus ilicifolia + and x +
Has shade tolerance	Light shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil teclayture preference	Clay +
Has soil teloamyture preference	Loamy +
Has soil tesandyture preference	Sandy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomy name	Prunus ilicifolia +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Evergreen +
Is herbaceous or woody	Woody +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +

Uses

Toxic parts

Edible uses

Notes

Fruit

Seed

Material uses

Unknown part

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

Unknown part

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Forage

Shelter

Propagation

Cultivation

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

Polycultures & Guilds

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

Subspecies

Full Data

References

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