When I looked out the window the other morning, I noticed the Mahonia in bloom. This is one of my favorite plants in winter. It begins to bloom in late December to early January with lovely spikes of yellow flowers that have a delicious fragrance. This is one of the few plants in our yard that flowers in the winter. The dark green leathery, prickly evergreen leaves give texture to the garden.
Each of the small yellow flowers will produce a purple fruit and the strings of these fruits remind one of a cluster of grapes. A common name for this plant is Oregon grape, of course, it isn't a grape at all. Birds love the fruits. This is a plant that does well in a shade garden.
 |
| Yellow flowers of Mahonia. |
 |
| Mahonia fruit. |
The leaves look like holly leaves.
ReplyDeleteIs it in the holly family?
Martha