Scientific Family
Berberidaceae
Synonyms
Berberis haematocarpa
Other common names
bloodberry barberry
Red Oregon-Grape
red mahonia
Plant type
Shrubs
Riparian
No
Plant Description
Origin
Native
Similar species
Mahonia fremontii
A fragrant, roundish shrub with stiff, erect branches; showy fragrant yellow flowers; green, prickly foliage; purplish-red berries.
Young stems smooth, older bark fissured; leaves alternate, mostly evergreen, rigid, bluish-green, 3 to 9 leaflets, leaflets spine-tipped, margins toothed, terminal leaflet 2 to 5x longer than wide. Small yellow flowers; berry-like fruits, purplish-red.
Height
3 to 8 feet
Width
3 to 8 feet
Habitat
Habitat description
Slopes and flats in desert shrub, grasslands and chaparral.
Plant Community
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
4500
Leaves
Leaf color
Bluish-green
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf shape
Pinnatifid
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
No
Leaf Drop
Evergreen
Leaves, to 4 inches, are covered with a whitish coating. Narrowly ovate or lanceolate leaflets. Each pinnately compound leaf has 3 to 9 leaflets. The leaves are stiff and sharply spine-tipped. Terminal leaflets exceed the length of other leaflets.
Flowers
Flower color
Yellow
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
February
Last bloom month
June
Bright yellow and fragrant flowers, 1/2 inch wide in clusters of 3 to 7 flowers. There are 9 green sepals and 6 yellow petals and 6 stamens.
Flower clusters
Rounded
Fruit
Fruit color
Purplish-red
Fruit type
Berry-like
Small, juicy, purplish-red berries to 3/8 inch in diameter.