Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Media Mahonia

Berberis (BER-ber-is hor-TEN-sis)

Family: Berberidaceae Non-native Shrub (3-15 ft)

Media Mahonia is an interspecific hybrid shrub developed in 1951 from parents B . oiwakensis and B . japonica. The plant can be variable in appearance and look more like one parent than the other. It grows in a wide range of soils but prefers to be evenly moist in well-drained acidic soil. Plant in part shade in an area protected from harsh winds. It is drought-tolerant and its fruit attracts birds. The plant spreads by suckers and forms thickets. Birds will eat the berries and spread the seeds. This plant has attractive yellow flowers from winter to spring in upright spreading clusters. Flowers are followed by blue-black berries that attract birds. The spiny, glossy leaves add winter interest and have a reddish fall color. It does well in a woodland setting or as a specimen plant. Adds winter interest to the garden. See native alternatives to the left. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems More information on Berberis .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 73 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Berberis aquifolium
Fills a similar niche Berberis gracilis Berberis x hortensis 'Winter Sun' Salvia rosmarinus
Similar, less problematic Aesculus parviflora

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Perennial; Poisonous; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 13 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 9 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The 10-24 inch long compound leaves have 11-17 pairs of leaflets and a terminal leaflet. The fall color is in reds.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Bell
Flower detail
Flowers from February to April with sweetly scented yellow blooms in upright spreading racemes.
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Fruit color
Black; Blue
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Blue/black clusters of grape-like showy fruits.
Bark detail
Bark has insignificant ornamental value
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Spines on the stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Australia, Asia, Europe
Wildlife value
Fruit attracts birds
Attracts
Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Berry

Edibility

Fruits are edible in moderation as they can cause stomach upset.

Uses (ethnobotany)

Fruit raw or cooked

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Woodland
Landscape theme
Shade Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Specimen
Garden tags
#evergreen #deer resistant #winter interest #blue fruits #bird friendly #winter flowers #showstopper #fall interest #perennial #wildlife friendly #spines #drought tolerant #winter garden #poisonous if ingested
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Indian Wax Scale Insect; Soft Scale Identification and Management on Ornamental Plants; Twobanded Japanese Weevil
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Children; Spines/Thorns; Weedy
Resistant to
Deer; Fire; Rabbits
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Bark; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice
Poison symptoms
Ingestion of the toxic parts can cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Toxic principle
Berberine, a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Bark; Leaves; Roots; Sap/Juice

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.