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Key characteristics

Family: Berberidaceae
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Width: 5 to 8 feet (spreading habit)
Flower color: Bright yellow
Foliage color: Evergreen, glossy green leaves that can turn bronze to reddish in cold weather
Bloom time: Late winter to early spring
Light: Partial sun
Water: Low
Maintenance: Low; requires minimal pruning and is slow-spreading
Growing zone: USDA Zones 5 to 9
Wildlife: Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; blue berries are a food source for birds

Shrubs

Mahonia repens

Creeping Oregon Grape

Mahonia repens, commonly known as Creeping Oregon Grape, is a hardy evergreen shrub native to North America. It thrives in woodland and rocky environments, offering vibrant yellow flowers that bloom in late winter to early spring. These blooms give way to clusters of blue berries that attract a variety of wildlife, including hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. The plant's natural range spans dry, rocky slopes and open forests, making it a great choice for erosion control on slopes or as a groundcover in native or woodland gardens.

Light

Partial sun

Water

Low

Bloom time

Late winter to early spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Native Gardens
Woodland Gardens
Slopes & Banks
Bird Gardens

Companion plants

Hydrangea · Viburnum · Pulmonaria · Japanese forest grass · Wood sorrel · Epimedium

Design tip

Use creeping Oregon grape as a spreading evergreen layer beneath taller shrubs or along slopes, where its low growth can knit together open areas of the planting. Allow it to form broad drifts rather than isolated specimens to take advantage of its groundcover habit and create a more naturalistic effect.