Latin name: Mahonia repens or Berberis repens
by Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association
Mahonia repens, commonly known as creeping Oregon grape, is a low-growing evergreen shrub valued for its adaptability and year-round interest. It typically reaches 30–50 cm in height and spreads up to 2 meters, forming a dense, mat-like ground cover. Its holly-like leaves emerge with a reddish tint in spring, mature to deep green, and turn rich bronze or purple in fall and winter.
In early spring, bright yellow flower clusters appear, providing an important nectar source for pollinators. By late summer, these flowers develop into deep blue berries, which attract birds and other wildlife. While tart, the berries are edible and can be used in preserves and wine.
Highly drought-tolerant once established, Mahonia repens thrives in poor soils, partial shade, and rocky or dry conditions. Its spreading habit makes it an excellent choice for erosion control, low-maintenance ground cover, or underplanting in shaded gardens.
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Attribute |
Description |
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Form: |
Prostrate, creeping shrub. |
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Foliage: |
Evergreen. Leaves are compound, oddly pinnate with 3 to 7 leaflets. Leaflets are glabrous, ovate, with spinose margins. |
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Height/Width: |
0.5 m x 2 m |
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Hardiness Zone: |
5-8 |
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Exposure: |
It tolerates full sun and partial to deep shade. |
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Flower shape and colour: |
Deep yellow, forming on dense panicles (complex racemes). |
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Leaf colour: |
Dark green on the top, lighter green underneath. The leaves can turn bronze or red in the fall and winter in sunny locations. |
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Flower time: |
Spring, as early as February, as late as June. |
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Preferred soil and watering: |
Almost any soil type, including heavy clay. It prefers acid to slightly alkaline soil (4.5 to 7.5), dry to moist, but not waterlogged. |
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Pests and diseases |
Slugs and snails may damage young foliage. Generally trouble-free. |
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Other: |
M. repens spreads by rhizomes, 5 to 7 cm. deep and by seed. Its root can extend 2 to 3 m. below the surface, providing it with drought tolerance. It’s a moderate- to slow-grower. It is native to western North America, from California to British Columbia and from the Pacific Coast to east of the Rockies. |
