- Evergreen shrub or small tree 5 to 18 feet tall
- Dioecious: The male plants have long catkins in spring turning gray with age. The female plant has white woolly berries that turn dark gray.
- Grows naturally on the cooler coastal side of the hills
- Established plants are drought tolerant and deer resistant
- It will grow in inland areas but require more shade
- Found in Bay Hills and Diablo, and Hamilton sections