PNW Native
Ranges from Alaska through California, inland to New Mexico.
Tall Oregon-grape grows up to 9 ft / 3 m tall, with leathery, evergreen compound leaves with 5-11 leaflets and barbed thorny edges. Topside of leaves has a waxy sheen and the underside has a prominent central vein. Inflorescence occurs in both upright clusters and hanging racemes with numerous yellow flowers at terminal groups of 3-7 in. Fruits are tart, dark blue-purple with light blue bloom, grapelike berries that grow along stalks. (DM, LC)
Tall Oregon-grape, also known as cascade barberry, is a key ground cover species in many PNW habitat types, including Douglas-fir/western hemlock/Cascade barberry and western hemlock/tall Oregon-grape/salal forests. Large ungulates heavily use these habitats as wintering areas, which remain comparatively snow free through winter. However, when tall Oregon-grape thickets become too dense, they can prevent deer and elk use. Pacific silver-fir/tall Oregon-grape/ and western hemlock/creeping Oregon-grape/Oregon oxalis forests are used for thermal cover by big game. In the summer, big game prefer western hemlock/tall Oregon-grape/deerfoot vanillaleaf or Oregon oxalis communities. Tall Oregon-grape plays an important role in providing cover for animals in the forest ecosystems in which the plant inhabits, ranging from some of the largest to some of the smallest animals that inhabit PNW forests. (T)
Tall Oregon-grape grows in dry forests at low-high elevations in WA and western Oregon. Oregon-grape plants naturally contain the alkaloids oxyacanthine, berbamine, isocorydin, and berberine, which give the plant antibacterial, antiseptic, and antioxidant properties and stimulate smooth muscles. One should take care not to overeat Oregon-grape for these reasons, and to avoid altogether during pregnancy. The colorful yellow flowers of Oregon-grape attract numerous pollinators in early spring and birds in summer with their berries. (LC)
The tart, yet edible berries of Oregon-grape were eaten by native Northwest Coast peoples, and the roots were boiled to make dyes for baskets and medicinal teas. (T) The Samish, Swinomish, and Snohomish tribes eat the tart berries fresh. The Squaxin will also eat the berries, though they consider Oregon-grape to be too tart and dry to be choice, and the Chehalis will not eat the berries. The Swinomish and Samish prepare a general health-boosting tonic from tall Oregon-grape roots, (EG) the Squaxin drink a root tea used to purify the blood in spring and gargle for a sore throat, and the inner bark of stems and roots are widely used amongst local tribes to create a potent yellow dye and the berries for a purple dye. Infusions and decoctions used as purgatives or blood tonics were made from tall Oregon-grape bark. The Saanich, Okanogan, and other tribes ate the berries as a treatment for shellfish food poisoning, and the Okanogan believed tall Oregon-grape provided spiritual protection in cases of illness and death due to their prickly nature. (NT)
Tall Oregon-grape makes a desirable ornamental planting due to its bright yellow flowers, elegant purple berries, propensity to attract pollinators, and drought resistance. Berries are made into a mock-grape juice when mashed and mixed with sugar and water, but due to their intense sour flavor, they are more commonly made into wines, jams, or jellies. (LC)
[1] Tirmenstein, D. A. 1990. Mahonia nervosa. In: Fire Effects Information System,. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/mahner/all.html.
