Berberis aquifolium
Mountain grape
(c) Gavin Slater, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Berberidaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Berberis aquifolium (Mountain grape) is a native California shrub in the Berberidaceae family.
Mountain grape is a native shrub found in various California bioregions in diverse habitats at elevations ranging from low to moderate heights. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces yellow flowers in dense clusters with distinctive serrated leaflets. Growing 0.1 to 2 meters tall with spreading to erect stems, it forms a robust and architectural shrub with woody branching. Its compound leaves have 5 to 9 leaflets, each 2 to 7.5 centimeters long with serrated edges and small spines along the margins, creating a textured and intricate foliage. The fruit is a glaucous blue to purple ovoid berry approximately 4 to 7 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated species with no sympatric congeners
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, San Diego, Trinity, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Madera, San Bernardino, Glenn, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Butte, Nevada, Monterey, Napa, Lassen, Shasta, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, El Dorado, Lake, Kern
How to tell it apart
vs Quercus: Berberis has compound leaves or simple leaves with regular spiny teeth; Quercus has simple lobed leaves with irregular lobes.; vs Ilex: Berberis has compound leaves or alternate simple leaves; Ilex has only simple leaves that are spirally arranged.; vs Pyracantha: Berberis has yellow flowers and compound or simple spiny-edged leaves; Pyracantha has white flowers and simple leaves with thorns on stems.; vs Rosa: Berberis has yellow flowers with 6 petals; Rosa has pink-white flowers with 5 petals and compound leaves with paired leaflets.; vs Rhaphiolepis: Berberis has yellow flowers and spiny-toothed leaves; Rhaphiolepis has white-pink flowers and simple leaves with smooth or finely toothed edges.
Frequently asked questions
Is Berberis aquifolium native to California?
Yes. Berberis aquifolium is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Berberis aquifolium grow?
Berberis aquifolium occurs in Humboldt, San Diego, Trinity, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Madera, San Bernardino, Glenn and other counties.
What plant family does Berberis aquifolium belong to?
Berberis aquifolium is in the Berberidaceae family, genus Berberis.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.