Grapeholly is an upright evergreen shrub in the barberry family (Berberidaceae) from northeastern Mexico. It is a slow-growing, drought tolerant plant with a tendency to spread through suckers and form colonies. Grapeholly grows best in light shade but does require a few hours of sun each day to flower. It also dislikes summer heat. It is best planted in small groups in shade or woodland gardens. It does not like highly alkaline soils and will become chlorotic in high pH soils and desiccating winds. This plant has incredibly long racemes of beautiful, fragrant, creamy yellow flowers and leaves that are glossy and shiny like a holly and turn purplish-bronze in the winter. It late summer the berries mature to purplish grape-like fruits. Use this shrub as an accent, in the border or mass planted for a hedge. Birds are attracted to the fruits. Diseases, Insect Pests, and other Plant Problems: Fungal diseases like Septoria leaf spot and black spot, as well as insects as aphids, berberis sawfly, and webworms VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Berberis .
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.
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Erect
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery; Prickly
Leaf value
Long-lasting
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Stiff spiky leathery pinnately compound leaves with 9-11 leaflets.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower detail
Very long racemes 2 to 3 feet long that branch out with creamy, 6-petaled flowers that have yellow centers and appear in the winter and remain on the plant for a long bloom season.
Bloom time
Winter
Fruit color
Black; Blue; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit detail
Rows of grape-like, blue-black, berry fruits appear in the summer on the branches that may persist through December.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Northeastern Mexico
Distribution
Endemic to northeastern Mexico in the states of Hidalgo and Tamaulipas.
Wildlife value
Birds are attracted to the fruit.
Attracts
Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Not poisonous, but berries contain berberine that can cause stomach upset, especially with children.