Toyon, or “Christmas-berry,” one of the more distinctive shrubs of Southern California’s native chaparral plant community, is now flaunting clusters of red berries. Here in coastal San Diego, toyon ...

Toyon is a common tree in the hills around the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys and in the Angeles National Forest to the north. It’s found throughout the California chaparral regions. The leaves ...

Toyon, or “Christmas-berry,” one of the more distinctive shrubs of Southern California’s native chaparral plant community, are now flaunting clusters of bright red berries. In coastal San Diego, toyon ...

“Any plant that encourages bird life, supplies the bees with an unexcelled source of honey, gives food to man, furnishes tannin from its bark, protects arid slopes from erosion, paints the landscape ...

On a recent hike through Molok Luyuk, the newest addition to the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, one couldn’t help but notice the dark green shrub with the shouty red berries from across ...

While it may not be a classic winter wonderland, the South Coast does boast several festive flora for the winter season. Among them are California holly and the region’s two genera of mistletoe — and ...

Q: Could you name some shrubs to brighten up my garden in the winter? Also, could I take decorative cuttings from them? A: We can all use some cheering up during the winter when the days are short and ...

Note: This is the second in a three-part series on native plants that have proven successful on the author’s property along the Lindo Channel in Chico. The previous article discussed large trees; the ...