Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Spherical white 'pincushion' flowers over standing water, swarmed by butterflies and bees.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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- Toyon
White, red berries
Evergreen shrub
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
California's evergreen 'Christmas berry,' with white summer flowers and red winter fruit for birds.
California
Growing Toyon
A cornerstone of the California native hedge, thriving on summer drought once established. The bright berries reportedly gave Hollywood its name. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, evergreen, and good for winter interest.
Where it grows
Toyon is native to California. In the wild you’ll find it across California · Nevada · Oregon. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.
Regional Garden shows Toyon on 3 state pages.
Good for
Sourcing
Where to buy Toyon
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.
Plant it with
Companions & kin.
Natives that share Toyon’s range and conditions.
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Holly-like evergreen leaves, fragrant yellow spring flowers, and blue berries — Oregon's state flower.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Sheets of true-blue spring flowers on an evergreen shrub that hums with bees on the West Coast.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Hairy Manzanita
Arctostaphylos columbiana
Sculptural mahogany bark and early urn-shaped flowers that feed the West Coast's first bees of spring.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 3–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–May