Hardy evergreen shrub
Description: Lemon yellow, extremely fragrant flowers in late winter-early spring followed by clusters of bluish-green fruit in mid-summer; dark blue-green, coarse foliage with 5 to 7 prominent spines
Habit: Upright shrub grows 4-10’ high and 4-6’ wide
Culture: Prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil; grows best in partial shade; protect from harsh wind
Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 6
Origin: China
Attributes: Evergreen, showy fruit, deer resistant, attracts bees

This member of the barberry family was discovered in 1848 by Robert Fortune, who saw it in a neglected garden in the Chinese district of Hwuy Chow. Fortune, considered the premier British plant explorer of Asia during the mid-nineteenth century, noted that this upright, flowering shrub was “surpassing in beauty all the known species of Mahonia.” It was several years later that scientists recognized it as distinct from the Japanese species. Leatherleaf Mahonia was commonly available in American nurseries by the 1860s. This shrub is not attractive to deer, but the early spring flowers are an early nectar source for bees. zone6,zone7,zone8,zone9