| Scientific Name | Mahonia bealei |
| Common Name | Leatherleaf Mahonia |
| Hardiness Zone | 6 to 9 |
| Size | 6 to 10' tall - usually seen smaller |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Exposure | Shade to part shade - needs a little sun to flower - more sun below zone 8 |
| Group | Shrub - Evergreen |
| Characteristics | Alternate, compound leaves, leathery, tough texture with horizontal layering. 18" long with 9 to 13 leaflets which are holly-like and very stiff and opposite. Very dark green. |
| Landscape Uses | Upright, loose clump, coarse texture. Dense clusters of fragrant, yellow flowers in February and March. Bluish-black to purple berries in early Summer. Can be pruned to a single stem specimen. |
| History | Native to China. Once thought to be a form of Japanese Mahonia (M. japonica). The genus Mahonia has approx. 70 species and is named for Bernard McMahon, a 19th century horticulturalist. Part of the Berberidaceae (Barberry) family. |
Leaf and flower
Photo credit: Dean Bennett
Director of Horticulture and Turfgrass Management Programs
Brunswick Community College