Mahonia bealei (mahonia japonica Bealei)

Leatherleaf mahonia is an attractive, architectural shrub. It has distinctive and coarse, bold foliage. The evergreen leaves are pinnate, mid green to almost blue-green and only partly glossy. They have sharp spines along the margins. This mahonia is hardier for zone 6 as opposed to hybrid holly mahonia x media and keeps its foliage healthy and green even after usual winter in zone 6.

Flowers are composed in short clusters, they are sulphur yellow and have a lovely fragrance. In zone 7 they may appear already on the warm days of early winter, in colder zones they come out at the end of winter. They are frost tolerant. If pollinated they are followed by blue berries that are not poisonous. If you need to prune it do so immediately after flowering in the spring. You can cut it almost anywhere except from very old wood, it will always readily re-sprout making a denser shrub.

It grows moderately into a dense shrub with coarse structure. It needs to be found a good location so that its features are fully exposed. Grow it in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in partial or full shade. Leatherleaf mahonia does not tolerate direct sunlight. Fully hardy to -24°C (USDA zone 6). In colder zones it will survive with damaged foliage. New leaves will then re-emerge in mid spring.

Last update 15-02-2009; 06-02-2010