Berberis Species, Chinese Mahonia, Fortune's Mahonia, Holly Grape

I love using this plant in shady area as a relatively compact evergreen shrub with a lovely, feathery texture and a distinctly upright fo...Read Morerm. Like many mahonias, it can be a little stiff, but its verticality is welcome, particularly when combined with bushier shrubs nearby. Unlike many mahonias, it is not viciously prickly, nor is it prone to getting messy looking, nor is it at all invasive. It's been perfectly hardy here in zone 7b for the last few years during the Global Warming Era, but it does typically look kind of bedraggled in February--a whole lot better when the fresh new growth appears in the spring. The flowers appear in August and Septemb er. They're a lot less showy than other mahonias, but they come at a time of year when NOTHING else seems to be flowering in the landscape, so they're very welcome.