The coffeeberry is generally considered to be a stable of both big game and livestock, particularly important to sheep, goats, and deer. The fruits of the California Cofffeeberry are utilized by numerous wildlife species, particularly birds. In many areas, the berries are often the only abundant fruit available in the fall and so many predators -- band-tailed pigeons, black bears, black-tailed deer -- eat the fruit of the coffeeberry when food is scarce. Woodrats also sometimes eat the seeds. The plant is also often cultivated by humans, known to be specifically gathered by West Coast Indian tribes for culinary and medicinal purposes. The bark of the plant has also been known to be used as a laxative.
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