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Coast Barberry
Berberis pinnata
  
About Coast Barberry (Berberis pinnata) 6 Nurseries Carry This Plant The shrub California barberry (Berberis pinnata) was formerly known as Mahonia pinnata, and some sources still refer to it that way. The genus Mahonia is sometimes considered to be part of Berberis. Other common names for this species are wavyleaf barberry and shinyleaf mahonia. It is a dark green bush which resembles holly with its serrated leaves but bears round purple fruits that look like small grapes. This species is quite similar to the Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium), and is sometimes called the California Oregon-grape. The plant is found along the coast from Oregon to Baja on coastal mountain slopes, most often as part of a woodland plant community. Its fruits are not true grapes, but they are edible, if a bit sour and packed with seeds. They have also been used to produce purple dye. Medicinal uses of the plant include an edible bark preparation as treatment for fever, rheumatism, and dysentery.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3 - 7 ft tall
5 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright Columnar

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Slow

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Numerous birds are attracted to the fruits

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed , 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Shade, Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 3x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 10° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates clay but performs best in deep, rich woodland soil. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: 3 mos. stratification.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Rocky openings in evergreen forest, chaparral or oak woodland below 4,000 ft.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 10.9" - 136.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 3.99", Coldest Month: 37.1" - 55.6", Hottest Month: 57.7" - 79.9", Humidity: 0.30" - 25.30", Elevation: 4" - 6902"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Mahonia pinnata
Common Names: California Barberry, Shiny-leaf Mahonia, Shinyleaf Mahonia, Wavyleaf Barberry


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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