Oregon Grape

Berberis aquifolium

tree

Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium, also Mahonia aquifolium) is a handsome evergreen shrub of the Pacific Northwest, 3 to 6 ft tall, with glossy, spiny, holly-like leaflets that flush bronze in winter, bright clusters of fragrant yellow flowers in early spring, and dusty-blue, grape-like berries in summer. The state flower of Oregon, it is grown for those tart berries (made into jelly and wine) and, traditionally, for its vivid yellow inner bark and roots, colored by berberine, which were traditionally used as a yellow dye. Shade-tolerant, drought-hardy once established, and evergreen, it is a fine four-season shrub for the woodland edge, preferring light shade where its leaves do not scorch.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Salal — A fellow Northwest evergreen shrub for the same shaded, acidic woodland floor
• Fern — A natural companion for the cool, moist, partly shaded ground
• Wintergreen — A low acid-soil evergreen groundcover that suits the conditions beneath

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Leaf scorch →

  Caused by too much sun and dry wind - site in light shade with shelter and keep the soil from drying out

• Armored scale →

  Sap-sucking bumps on stems and leaves; treat with horticultural oil and prune out heavily infested wood

• Rust →

  Orange leaf pustules in damp conditions; remove affected leaves and ensure airflow

🌾 Harvest & storage

Pick the dusty-blue berries in summer when fully ripe and soft; they are tart and seedy, cooked with sweetening into jelly, wine, and sauce. The bright-yellow inner bark and roots were the traditionally harvested parts - dig roots or take inner bark from prunings, where the berberine yellow is vivid (it also stains as a dye); harvest these sparingly from an established shrub or from material you remove in pruning. Use the berries promptly or cook and store them.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Oregon grape berries are tart and seedy but make excellent deep-purple jelly, wine, and sauce when cooked with sweetening, and they feed birds heavily. The yellow, berberine-rich inner bark and root were traditionally used as a vivid yellow dye, harvested sparingly. As a plant it is a valuable evergreen for shade, an early nectar source for bees, and a tough, drought-hardy native once established.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Oregon grape berries are edible when cooked - tart and seedy, they are made into jelly, wine, and sauce - but they are not a casual raw snack. The berries, and especially the bright-yellow, berberine-rich roots and inner bark, can cause mild stomach upset such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea if eaten raw in quantity, particularly by children. The toxicity is low in severity and not a serious hazard, but keep children from grazing on the raw fruit.