Summer 2020 Newsletter

Ethnobotany Stories

Amah Mutsun Ethnobotany

By Alexii Sigona

Mutsun Name: t’ott’oni, tyottyoni 

English Name: toyon 

Botanical Name: Heteromeles arbutifolia

Toyon is an evergreen shrub that grows in the foothills surrounding the Central Valley throughout California. Berries are ripe in the Fall but may be eaten by birds or start to have mold. Toyon responds to fire and resprouts vigorously following fire. It has been observed to sprout 4-5 feet tall 4.5 years after a wildfire.

Berries are cooked, dried, or made into flour, eaten fresh, roasted, or boiled. Berries are sometimes baked in an earth oven for two or three days or stored in baskets for two months. Berries can also be used to make cider. Ohlone used a toyon leaf as a blood purifier and to regulate menses. Used by some for arrows, cooking instruments, and hairpins. Berries should be monitored to assess best times to gather before berries succumb to mold, disease, or are eaten by other animals.

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