Berberis Species, Oregon Grape, Oregon Grape Holly, Holly-leaved Barberry

On Aug 26, 2013, SteffofAvondale from Avondale Estates, GA wrote:

This is a gorgeous shrub in all seasons here in Atlanta. Mine came with the house, and I've never had to feed, water, prune, or divide it in 15 years. Blooms in January, before pretty much anything else, followed by fabulous clusters of blue berries. In summer it's just green, but the leaves are interesting-- leathery ovals as big as a child's hand, with pointed spines like holly leaves, but not as fierce as holly. The trunks are like nandina, woody, and each branch ends with a horizontal spoked wheel of leaves. Vivid scarlet leaves in fall/winter are possibly even prettier than the fruit in spring. I never get seedlings under the plants, but they do pop up in the lawn under other trees, so probably dropped by birds or squirrels. The lawnmower takes care of those, I guess, because I nev... read moreer even noticed them until this year while looking for something else.

On Jan 21, 2013, foodiesleuth from Honomu, HI (Zone 11) wrote:

My mother had several Mahonia plants in her back yard in Greensboro, NC and I've also grown it when I lived in SC. I used the branches, blooms and berries in flower arrangements. ...Never knew the berries were edible and wish now I had known back when the plant was so available to me!
I now live in Hawai'i and haven't seen it growing here at all.

On Sep 22, 2012, MulchingMan from Eugene, OR wrote:

I love this shrub, as its very easy to grow and relatively low-maintenance. I planted a half-dozen in various locations around my yard (getting anywhere from 1.5-5 hours of direct sun per day), and they do well in just about all lighting conditions. One of mine gets 5 hours of direct afternoon/early evening sun and seems to thrive in that spot (with weekly water in the summer). You'll want to plant these in soil that drains reasonably well, but they're otherwise not that picky about soil type. If you have dry summers like we do, give them a weekly watering and they'll be fine.

The small yellow flowers are unremarkable, but birds LOVE the blueish-purple berries.

On Mar 26, 2012, alheline from Dundee, IL wrote:

Have two plants which have survived several Chicago winters. Have to build bamboo and burlap teepees over my Rhododendron and Azalea to protect against deer, so the Mahonia gets tented also. One Mahonia is on the south edge of a treed area, the other is back in the shaded area of the same trees. The south facing, right on the lawn edge, has been growing better than the 'in shade' one, but both are doing well.

When young, and during a severe winter, the deer 'chowed-down' and nearly killed the plants. Thus, I have been protecting them. Our deer do not seem to realize that they are not supposed to like Oregon Grape leaves....they eat anything.

Fantastic display of small yellow flowers, in bunches, in the spring resulting in small 'grapes' in the fall whic... read moreh the birds love (no leftovers).

On Jun 28, 2011, rkwright85 from Horton, MI (Zone 5b) wrote:

Planted one in a VERY sheltered location on the NE corner of my house and still had some die-back. Leaves stayed green up until Spring when most of them fell off. Every one of these I have seen planted in the North is absolutely fried if it is not planted in a sheltered area (NO wind).

On Apr 4, 2011, kathrynt50 from Eugene, OR wrote:

I have a large, and very tall, patch of this in my Eugene yard, growing in full sun. I like the long period of yellow flowers, and so do the birds and bees. It was allowed to run wild by the previous owner, and can take over if not controlled. I seldom water it, yet it is healthy and vigorous. I don't like the prickly leaves, but with the tall variety, this is less of a problem, because they are easier to avoid.

On Oct 8, 2009, lanahi from Kamiah, ID wrote:

Oregon grape grows wild in Northcentral Idaho. It makes excellent tasting and beautiful jams and is a pretty plant all year. I don't find it aggressive at all. It prefers at least some shade and grows in total shade here.

On Aug 26, 2008, Sequoia03 from Nampa, ID (Zone 6b) wrote:

This plant grows wild in wooded areas all around Idaho. We're at 2,700 feet, and I've seen it in the mountains much higher than that. I have several volunteer shrubs in my own garden, growing in dry, almost-full shade. They had a lot of flowers this Spring because of the wet winter, and now there are lots of berries. The problem is that it's nearly impossible to get rid of! I am constantly having to pull out volunteers with deep, extensive root systems all over the shaded areas of my garden. I like the fragrance of the flowers, and this shrub is certainly care-free, but I do not want a garden full of Oregon Grape. I'd say be careful where you plant it, and be sure to keep it in bounds, or you may have a lot more Oregon Grape than you planned on!

On Aug 25, 2008, Notill from Payson, AZ wrote:

The first three of our four years in Payson, Az, our Oregon Grape Holly was visited annually by the single-note-calling phainopepla in summer for the grapes. I thought the fruit was bland. The blossoms before are very aromatic, almost cloying. Our O. G. H. are being infested with a web making insect similar to the tent caterpillar. I've had to raze a couple to the ground. They do put up shoots elsewhere, so I don't think their in danger of elimination. I just wish I knew what the insect is.

On Aug 25, 2008, wilmott from Sharon, CT wrote:

I've had this plant for fifteen or twenty years at 1100 feet in the northwest corner of Connecticut and it's as carefree as anything can be. It's in complete shade until late afternoon, spreads very slowly, and comes back when we thought it was dead. It's still barely two feet high but six feet wide. We clip it occasionally for holly decorations at Christmas.

On Jun 12, 2007, marysgarden from Wetumpka, AL wrote:

Growing very well in almost full shade--probably needs it during our hot Alabama summers. Companions are Japanese Fatsia, Japanese Maple (Crimson Queen) and Cast Iron Plant.

On Mar 21, 2005, Iluvmygarden from Hope, BC (Zone 7a) wrote:

I just moved into this new neighborhood in Hope, BC Canada, in December. One of the first native plants to pop up in the area (in Feb.) is the Oregon Grape. They grow everywhere around here! I can't wait to see the fruits and flowers..It is a very woodsy area around here, lots of shade under large trees, but alot of heat and sunlight in summer. They really seem to thrive under the canopy of trees, with all of the natural mulch.....

On Nov 12, 2004, 433kfj from klamath falls, OR (Zone 6a) wrote:

Yes, of course it grows here! This is its prime growing location. It grows on the north slope around my house (on a north-facing scarp) but you won't find it growing naturally in the open sun-baked flatland or on western or southern exposures unless somewhat shaded. It's extremely hardy. I'm at an elevation of of a little over 4,200FT and it grows way up higher in the mountains around here that can get 6'+ of snow in the winter. In addition to that, here in the Klamath Basin, the moisture content during the winter is basically nill when the wind blows and the temperatures go below freezing. The same thing happens in the summer with high temperatures and wind with little humidity. This plant shows no sign of stress in either situation as long as its roots are shaded and the soil stays a lit... read moretle moist. As for the berries, they are a little tart and seedy, but I have heard many accounts of the tremendous jelly they make, like from a grape, but more tart(added suger of course). I haven't ever gathered the berries from the bushes around my house for lack of time and anyone I could give them to to make jelly, but I did notice a huge increase in mice in and outside my house this year due to a heavy crop of all berry-bushes around my house(we've been in a drought and had a "decent" snow last winter, so the wild plants around here went crazy this year with flowers & fruit). Gathering the berries might be a good idea if you live in an area prone to rodents. I have never seen birds actually eating the berries, and there are still many left on the bushes yet. Maybe when the ground is coverd in snow, the birds will come looking for the berries. Like I said, the ground around here hasn't had snow on it ,for any lenghth of time,in about 10 years.