Blog  December 7, 2011

Festive in the West: Holly Mahonia

The showy purple fruit of holly mahonia. (Photo: Louis M. Landry)

If you find yourself in dry open woodlands in southern British Columbia and Alberta, keep an eye out for the evergreen shrub Mahonia aquifolia.

Drought-tolerant and deer resistant, this member of the barberry family produces edible purple fruit that attracts birds, butterflies, bees and humans too!

Holly mahonia has a number of known aliases, including tall Oregon grape, sowberry, woodsour and blue barberry. Whatever you call it, it’s a valued member of the forest. Find out more about holly mahonia and other native species in the Native Plant Database.