Berberis haematocarpa
Red fruited mahonia
(c) Alex Abair, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alex Abair · licence
Family: Berberidaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Berberis haematocarpa (Red fruited mahonia) is a native California shrub in the Berberidaceae family.
Red fruited mahonia is a California native shrub found in the eastern Mojave Desert on rocky slopes, pinyon and juniper woodlands, and chaparral at elevations of 1,000 to 1,850 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow flowers in open clusters 2 to 3.5 centimeters long. Growing 0.5 to 4 meters tall with erect stems, it forms dense clusters on short lateral branches. Its compound leaves have 3 to 5 narrow-lanceolate leaflets with wavy margins and sharp spines 2 to 3 millimeters long along the edges, each leaflet 3 to 3.5 centimeters long and 0.8 to 1.2 centimeters wide. The fruit is a distinctive red-brown to dark purple spherical berry approximately 8 to 10 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland, chaparral
Elevation: 1000-1850 m
Outside California: to Texas, Mexico
Bloom period
Berberis haematocarpa blooms Mar-May.
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 haematocarpa native to California?
Yes. Berberis haematocarpa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Berberis haematocarpa bloom?
Berberis haematocarpa blooms Mar-May.
What plant family does Berberis haematocarpa belong to?
Berberis haematocarpa is in the Berberidaceae family, genus Berberis.
What habitat does Berberis haematocarpa grow in?
Berberis haematocarpa grows in Rocky slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.