Oregon-grape
Oregon-grape is an evergreen
shrub related to the
barberry. Some authors submerge
Mahonia in the barberry genus,
Berberis is a genus [i] of about 450-500 species of deciduous [i] and evergreen [i] shrub [i]s from ...
. The plant is in no way related to
grapes, but gets the name from the purple clusters of berries. It is sometimes called Tall Oregon-grape to distinguish it from
Creeping Oregon-grape and "Cascade" or
Dwarf Oregon-grape . The name is often left un-hyphenated as Oregon grape, though doing so invites confusion with the true
grapes. It also occasionally appears in print as Oregongrape.
Oregon-grape grows to 1-2 m tall.
Encyclopedia
Oregon-grape is an evergreen
shrub related to the
barberry. Some authors submerge
Mahonia in the barberry genus,
Berberis is a genus [i] of about 450-500 species of deciduous [i] and evergreen [i] shrub [i]s from ...
. The plant is in no way related to
grapes, but gets the name from the purple clusters of berries. It is sometimes called
Tall Oregon-grape to distinguish it from
Creeping Oregon-grape and "Cascade" or
Dwarf Oregon-grape . The name is often left un-hyphenated as
Oregon grape, though doing so invites confusion with the true
grapes. It also occasionally appears in print as
Oregongrape.
Oregon-grape grows to 1-2 m tall. Its leathery leaves resemble
holly and the stems and twigs have a thickened, corky appearance. The flowers, borne in late spring, are an attractive yellow.
Oregon-grape is used in landscaping similarly to barberry, as a plant suited for low-maintenance plantings and loose hedges. Oregon-grape is resistant to summer drought, tolerates poor soils, and neither spreads invasively nor creates excessive leaf litter. Its berries attract birds.
The plant is used medicinally by herbalists. The small purplish-black fruits, which are quite tart and contain large seeds, are sometimes used locally mixed with
Salal to make jelly. As the leaves of Oregon-grape are holly-like and resist wilting, the foliage is sometimes used by florists for greenery and a small gathering industry has been established in the
Pacific Northwest. The inner bark of the larger stems and roots of Oregon-grape yield a yellow dye.
Oregon-grape is a native plant on the North American west coast from
British Columbia to northern
California, occurring in the understory of
Douglas-fir forests and in brushlands. It is the
state flower of
Oregon.
See also
in ,
The National Geographic Magazine, XXXI , pp. 481–517.
External links
