Berberis higginsiae

Fremont's mahonia

Family: Berberidaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 3.2

Fremont's mahonia is a California native shrub found in the Peninsular Ranges in rocky slopes, pinyon and juniper woodland, and chaparral at elevations of 700 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces yellow flowers in compact clusters on open inflorescences 3.5 to 6 centimeters long. Growing to 2 to 2.5 meters tall with an erect form, it features densely clustered branches with distinctive foliage. Its leaves are composed of 3 to 5 wavy, spiny leaflets that are strongly folded along the midrib, each leaflet 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters long with sharp, upturned margins and acute tips. The fruit is a nearly spherical, yellow-red berry approximately 6 to 8 millimeters in diameter, turning nearly black when dry.

Habitat: Rocky slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland, chaparral

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: 700-1900 m

Bioregions: PR

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