The specific epithetaquifolium denotes "sharp-leafed", referring to the spiny foliage. The common name is often, and always in the United Kingdom, left unhyphenated as "Oregon grape", though doing so invites confusion with the true grapes. Some authors avoid this confusion by using "Oregon grape-holly" or "Oregon holly-grape" as a vernacular name for any species of Mahonia. It is also occasionally printed as "Oregongrape". Mahonia aquifolium is not closely related to either the true holly or the true grape. Several common species of Oregon-grape are known, and many have numerous cultivars. Among these are tall Oregon grape ; Cascade, low, dull, or dwarf Oregon grape ; and creeping Oregon grape.
Description
Mahonia aquifolium grows to tall by wide, with pinnate leaves up to long, each leaf made up of spiny leaflets. The leathery leaves resemble those of holly and the stems and twigs have a thickened, corky appearance. The flowers, borne in dense clusters in late spring, are yellow, and are followed by spherical dark dusty blue berries, which give rise to the common name "Oregon grape".
Taxonomy
Some authors place Mahonia in the barberry genus, Berberis. The Oregon-grape is not related to true grapes, but gets its name from the purple clusters of berries whose color and slightly dusted appearance are reminiscent of grapes. '' species and other insects pollinate the flowers.
Mahonia aquifolium is a popular subject in shady or woodland plantings. It is valued for its striking foliage and flowers, which often appear before those of other shrubs. It is resistant to summer drought, tolerates poor soils, and does not create excessive leaf litter. Its berries attract birds. Numerous cultivars and hybrids have been developed, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
M. × wagneri 'Pinnacle'
'Apollo'
Uses
The small purplish-black fruits, which are quite tart and contain large seeds, are included in smaller quantities in the traditional diets of Pacific Northwestaboriginal peoples, mixed with salal or another sweeter fruit. Today, they are sometimes used to make jelly, alone or mixed with salal. Oregon-grape juice can be fermented to make wine, similar to European barberry wine folk traditions, although it requires an unusually high amount of sugar. The berries can also be eaten raw after the season's first frosts. The inner bark of the larger stems and roots of Oregon grape yields a yellow dye; the berries give purple dye. 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.
