The Harvesting of Hollyleaf Cherries

Hollyleaf cherry shrubs grow 25 feet tall in their native environment.

Hollyleaf cherry shrubs grow 25 feet tall in their native environment.

For an edible addition to a native landscape, plant a Hollyleaf cherry shrub (Prunus ilicifolia) or its subspecies Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp lyonii). Catalina cherry is more tree-like than the hollyleaf variety, which has a shrub-like growth habit. Although not commonly grown commercially, the cherries of this plant are edible and they attract birds to your garden. Hollyleaf cherries grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11.

Hollyleaf Cherries

Hollyleaf cherry fruits are dark red to bluish black, between one-half to 1 inch in diameter. The flesh is sweet and juicy. This tasty native cherry would be more commercially viable if it were not for the large pit in the center surrounded by a thin layer of fruit. Hollyleaf cherries are favored by birds and other wildlife as well as humans.

Harvest Time

Fall is the time to harvest hollyleaf cherry fruits. Cherries ripen best when allowed to fully mature on the tree. To harvest, simply pluck the fruits, including the long stem, from the trees, making sure to leave the knobby part at the top of the stem where it attaches to the tree. This part, called the fruit spur, is the point where next year's crop will grow from. Cherries ripen over several weeks in fall. Harvest daily as the fruits are ripening to get the cherries at their sweetest.

Kernel Uses

While the fruit is tasty and sweet, traditionally, the primary use of the hollyleaf cherry is the kernels. Native Californians ground the kernels into flour for use in baking and other traditional foods. Like other types of cherries, hollyleaf cherries have a pit covered by the kernel and then encased in fruit. The pit is poisonous and must be removed. Once the pit is removed, the remaining kernels can be cooked whole or ground into a flower.

Fruit Uses

Good fresh, dried or cooked, the hollyleaf cherry can be used as you would use commercial cherries. The fruits are exceptionally juicy, ideal for making into juice or fermenting for a sweet wine as the native Californians did. Cooked cherries are made into preserves, jams and jelly, or frozen for use throughout the year. When harvesting hollyleaf cherries, it's worth leaving a few fruits behind to encourage birds to visit your garden through the fall and early winter.

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