Mahonia trifolia
Three leaved barberry
Also known as Mahonia eutriphylla, Mahonia schiedeana
- Height × spread
- 3m × 3m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Average winter to - 10C (RHS H4)
- Flowers
- Spring
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This Mexican native is variable in habit, and can on occasion assume a prostrate growth habit though it is more likely to make an erect shrub. There are three to five leaflets on each stalk, and these are rigid, and regularly spined on their outer edges. They take on appealing purple tints in cold weather. There are small clusters of yellow flowers in spring and these are followed by black fruits covered with a greyish bloom. It is not completely hardy and is only recommended for sheltered and warm sites, though it appears to survive in southern gardens in the United Kingdom.
- Flower colour
- Yellow
- Foliage colour
- Blue, Green
- Fruit colour
- Black
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, fragrant
- Shape
- Dome
- Height
- 3m
- Spread
- 3m
- Spread in 10 years
- 0m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Winter
- Flowers in
- Spring
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Winter garden, Scented garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Well drained soil
- Hardiness
- Average winter to - 10C (RHS H4)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Structural, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Bee attraction
- Deer
- Protect from deer when young if in vulnerable area
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- Yes, leaves are prickly
Spring
Spring - late · Outdoors
Feed with slow release fertiliser
Apply a general purpose slow release fertiliser, spreading it around the root area of the plant as it is coming into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)
This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Spring · Planting
Prune lightly after flowering
Give the plant a light haircut, generally tidying it up and removing any shoots that are wayward or damaged in any way. Dead flowers can be cut off if this is practical - the shrub may have too many, or they may be hard to reach.
Planting & general
Outdoor planting · Planting
Add root growth stimulant to the planting hole
Mycorrhizal fungi helps roots establish quickly, so they absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. It comes as a powder, granule or gel. Add to the planting hole or container, and to the plant's rootball before planting in the hole. For "bareroot" plants use a gel.
Found in
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