Pollinator plant

Oregon Grape

Mahonia aquifolium

Linked agroforestry plant data
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Common names

6 names · 4 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Hollyleaved barberry (US)[1]
  • Oregon Grape[1]
Other languages (3)
Dutch
  • Gewone mahonia
  • Mahonie
French
  • Mahonia à feuilles de houx
German
  • Gewöhnliche Mahonie[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Mahonia aquifolium ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Oregon Grape (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 166617; taxon 3XJ3H.
  • Gewöhnliche Mahonie (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 166615; taxon 3XJ3H.
  • Hollyleaved barberry (US) — VernacularName.tsv, line 166616; taxon 3XJ3H.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Mahonia aquifolium is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Berberidaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Pollinator guidance
RHS includes Mahonia species in its Plants for Pollinators guidance.

Genus-level guidance, not a rating for this individual species or a particular cultivar. RHS planting guidance. Choose accessible flowers with pollen and nectar; reduced-resource and double-flowered forms may be unsuitable. This entry covers spring-flowering types.

Sources [2] [3] [3]
Native range
SW. Canada to N. California.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [4]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

High suitability
Nectar value High
Pollen value High
Agroforestry database

Complete plant information

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Structure

Vegetation layer
Shrub
Size
Small
Dimensions
2.00 m high × 1.50 m wide
Growth rate
Fast
Lifecycle
Perennial
Foliage
Evergreen

Site conditions

USDA hardiness
4-8
Moisture
Well-drained, Moist
Soil
Sandy, Loamy, Clay
pH
Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
Light
Shade, Partial shade, Sun

Uses

Edible parts
Flowers, Fruit, Sap
Functions
Dye, Hedge, Ground cover, Fragrant
Edibility
3 out of 5
Medicinal value
3 out of 5

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is almost the size of a black currant and grows in large clusters, making it easy to harvest. The fruit has a sour taste and can be delicious eaten raw, especially when added to porridge or muesli. Unfortunately, the fruit contains relatively little flesh and many seeds, although some plants have larger and juicier fruits. Cooked, the fruit tastes a bit like black currants. The fruit can be dried and stored for later use. Flowers - raw. They can also be used to make a lemonade-like drink.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Mahonia aquifolium — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 585958; ID 3XJ3H; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 585958; ID 3XJ3H; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Plants Of The World

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 2, column 2, entry Mahonia species (top 142 pt)

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Garden Plants

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidancePollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 2, column 1, entry Mahonia species (top 67 pt)
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 2, column 2, entry Mahonia species (top 67 pt)

    Source checked on .

  4. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Berberis aquifolium — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 507321, 1324468; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 1207013, 1207016, 1207017, 1207018, 1207019, 1207022

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.