toyon

American  

[toi-on, -ohn] / ˈtɔɪ ɒn, -oʊn /

1. an evergreen, rosaceous shrub or small tree, Heteromeles arbutifolia (orPhotinia arbutifolia ), of California and northern Mexico, having clusters of small, white flowers and bright red berries.

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Etymology

Origin of toyon

1840–50, variant of tollon < Mexican Spanish tollón

Example Sentences

The lush greenery in the leafy inner courtyard will be replaced with plants more closely related to those of the late Pleistocene, such as cypress and toyon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

“I love seeing the deep, rich green of the toyon next to the pale green of the sage, dudleyas, sagebrush and the olive tree,” Smee says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Nicole recommended California live oak and toyon, and even some non-natives, including bird of paradise.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025

Mace said she’d build a concrete house and the yard would have oak, sycamore, toyon, lemonade berry and lilac.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025

He threaded among willows and sycamores and wild blackberry vines in the riverbed, patted the trunks of live oak and scrub oak, madrone, laurel, toyon.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck