Berberis aquifolium var. aquifolium

Oregon grape

Family: Berberidaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Oregon grape is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Gabriel Mountains, and Modoc Plateau in conifer forest at elevations of 400 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces deep blue to purple flowers in clusters with glossy, dark green leaflets. Growing with ascending to erect stems one to two meters tall, it forms a dense, multi-branched structure with woody stems. Its compound leaves are large, typically 10 to 24 centimeters long, with 5 to 9 ovate leaflets that have spiny edges and a shiny upper surface. The shrub produces dark blue, ovoid fruits that provide food for local wildlife.

Habitat: Conifer forest

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 400-2300 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoR, CaR, SN, SnGb, MP

California counties: Los Angeles, Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, Alameda, Napa, Del Norte, Plumas, Lassen, Modoc, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.