Identify Mahonia

MAHONIA / SPRING / SUMMER / AUTUMN / WINTER / EDIBLE

COMMON NAMES

Oregon Grape, holly leaved barberry

BOTANICAL NAME

Mahonia Aquifolium

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Root –  Not of interest.

Stems/Bark – Brown, grey, corky texture.

Leaves – Pinnate leaves up to 30cm long, each leaf is made up of spiny leaflets which resemble holly.

Flowers – The yellow flowers grow in dense clusters.

Seeds/fruits – Spherical, dark blue berries.

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom – Plantae

Order – Rununculaes

Family – Berberidaceae

Genus – Mahonia

KNOWN HAZARDS

None known.

COULD BE CONFUSED WITH 

Holly can look similar but its fruits are orange to red.

RANGE AND DISTRIBUTION

Native to North America, found mainly in parks and gardens in the UK.

HABITAT

Mainly found planted in parks and gardens but it can be found in the wild as an escapee.

EDIBLE USES

The berries when ripe are still quite tart but when cooked other sweeter fruits or sugar/honey make a delicious compote.

The flowers raw are nice as a garnish or just eaten on their own.

Identification is key!

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