Oregon Grape

Oregon Grape
  or Creeping Mahonia
(Berberis repens)

This is a low-growing evergreen shrub, with compound spiny leaves. It can usually be found growing in shady groves of oak or maples in the lower parts of our foothill canyons.

Many botanists classify it as Mahonia repens.

The racemes of yellow flowers bloom early in the spring.

The mature berries are purple or dark blue. They can be made into delicious jelly.

See Fremont's Barberry for a closely related (but quite different looking) desert plant.