Mahonia

Profile

Family

Berberidaceae

Habit

Shrub

Height

1.9 m

Spread

1.5 m

Growth

slow

Lifespan

30 years

First yield

after 3 years

Hardiness

zone 4–8

Shade tolerance

full shade

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam, Clay

Soil moisture

dry – very wet

pH

5 – 8

Planned in gardens

6×

Flowering & harvest

Times apply to the northern hemisphere in a temperate climate and shift with altitude and cultivar.

Uses

Edible: Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit, almost the size of a blackcurrant, grows in large clusters, making it easy to harvest. It has a tart taste but is particularly delicious when added to a puree or cereal. Unfortunately, there is relatively little flesh and many seeds, although some plants produce larger and juicier fruits. Cooked fruits taste somewhat like blackcurrants. The fruits can also be dried and stored for later use. Flowers - raw. They can also be used to make a lemonade-like drink.

Medicinal: The roots are crushed and applied to eruptions.

Other uses: A yellow dye is extracted from the inner bark of the stem and roots, while another source mentions it being green. Dark green, violet, and dark blue-violet dyes are obtained from the fruit. A green dye is extracted from the leaves. This variety can be cultivated as a low hedge and does not require pruning. Due to its spreading habit, it also serves as an effective dense ground cover plant, although it may establish slowly.

Growing

A plant that is easy to grow, thriving in any good garden soil and tolerating dense shade under trees. It does well in heavy clay soils and also thrives in dry soils if mulched well annually. It does not like strong wind exposure. The plants are hardy to about -20°C. They are very tolerant of pruning and can be cut back to old wood if needed. Spring is the best time for this. The plant forms quite freely suckering roots, creating dense thickets once established. The flowers are delicately scented. Some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value. This species is notably resistant to the honey fungus. This plant is the state flower of Oregon.

Propagation

Seeds are best sown immediately after ripening in a cold frame, as they usually germinate in spring. 'Green' seeds (harvested when the embryo is fully developed but before the seed coat has dried) should be sown right after harvesting and will germinate within 6 weeks. Stored seeds should be sown as soon as possible in late winter or spring. A cold period of 3 weeks enhances germination, which should occur in 3 - 6 months at 10°C. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough and grow them in a cold frame for at least the first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Divide the runners in spring. It is preferable to plant them directly in their final location for better results, but they can also be placed in pots and kept in a frame until established. In autumn, leaf cuttings can be taken.

Notable

Special features: Urban climate resistant; spreads by runners; suitable for borders, rooftop gardens, containers, and underplanting trees; Medicinal plant of North American indigenous people; Interesting varieties include: 'Mirena' (no runners, very productive, powdery mildew and rust resistant); 'Pamina' (cross with M. repens, good winter hardiness, high resistance to powdery mildew).

Origin & habitat

Western North America. Naturalized in Great Britain.

Hedges, walls, and fallow land.

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