Oregon Grape
Mahonia aquifolium
Care
Evergreen
Resistant
Friendly
Yes
Prized
Berries eaten raw or made into jam; tart flavor.
Redwood and mixed conifer forests of northern California from Mendocino County northward, extending to southern Oregon and Washington.
Wildlife Supported
Birds
Fall and winter fruit consumption; important winter food source in California
Early spring blooms provide critical nectar before other flowers emerge
Critical fall migration fuel source; berries consumed during southbound migration
Winter seed foraging in coastal and montane California populations
Spring migration staging fuel source
Insects
Important pollen resource during colony establishment
Larval host plant; caterpillars feed on buds and flowers
Early-season pollen and nectar source for emerging queens
Spring pollen provisioning for developing larvae
Spring and early summer nectar source
Early spring pollen source when few other plants bloom
Fungal pathogen; host-specific relationship
Early season nectar foraging