Mahonia
Barberry
- Height × spread
- 0.5m – 3.5m × 0m – 3m
- Position
- All conditions
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
Winter flowering shrub for fantastic seasonal colour and a magnet for wildlife. The prickly green leaves are sometimes red when young. Fragrant yellow flowers last into early spring, attracting pollinators and birds love the blue black berries that follow. In a range of sizes, ground cover at 30cm, to several metres high for the back of the border. Some spine-free forms flower summer to autumn.
- Flower colour
- White, Yellow
- Foliage colour
- Blue, Green
- Fruit colour
- Black, Blue, Grey, Purple
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, some varieties
- Shape
- Bell, Cube, Dome, Fan
- Height
- 0.5m – 3.5m
- Spread
- 0m – 3m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Winter garden, Small scale garden, Shady court, Seaside garden, Scented garden, Rock garden, Mediterranean garden, Exotic garden, Conservatory
- Sun or shade
- All conditions
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Well drained soil, Dry soil, Dry and shady soil, Drought resistant
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, some are not hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Wall cover, Hedge, Ground cover, Structural, Architectural, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Bee attraction, Bird attraction
- Maintenance
- Some varieties are easycare (low/no maintenance)
- Hazards
- Yes, some leaves are prickly
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water in dry periods
Established plants in the ground can cope with 7-10 days of dryness, and shrubs often manage 2 to 3 weeks. Water one section of the garden thoroughly each day rather than a little everywhere. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather.
Planting & general
Outdoors
Feed & mulch some rose varieties differently
To keep roses healthy and produce more flowers, feed during the growing season before and after flowering. Roses in containers should be fed more often than those planted in the ground, every two weeks from mid spring to late summer. Adding a mulch around the base of a rose will trap moisture and enrich the soil as it biodegrades.
Outdoors
Water some varieties differently
Some plants within this genus have additional requirements for water. It is best to look up your specific plant, or the species it belongs to for watering guidance.
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.
Found in
More Mahonia
Mahonia aquifolium 'Apollo'
Oregon grape, Holly grape, Holly leaved barberry
Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'
Spine-free mahonia, Soft mahonia
Mahonia x media 'Charity'
Hybrid barberry
Mahonia x media 'Winter Sun'
Hybrid barberry
Mahonia 'Volcano'
Spine-free mahonia
Mahonia aquifolium
Oregon grape, Holly grape, Holly leaved barberry
Mahonia aquifolium 'Atropurpurea'
Oregon grape, Holly grape, Holly leaved barberry
Mahonia eurybracteata 'Sweet Winter'
Spine-free mahonia, Soft mahonia