Mahonia lomariifolia
Common name: 
Chinese Mahonia
Burmese Mahonia
Pronunciation: 
ma-HO-ni-a low-mah-ree-i-FO-lee-a
Family: 
Berberidaceae
Genus: 
Synonyms: 
Berberis lomariifolia
Mahonia oiwakensis
Mahonia oiwakensis subsp. lomariifolia
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Evergreen shrub, 6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m), very erect, may be single or multistemmed, stems little branched.  Leaves alternate, pinnately compound, clustered near stem ends and held horizontal, very long, each is 40-60 cm long, with 10-18 pairs of leaflets which are thick, spiny, glossy green, and about 7.5 x 2 cm.  Flowers small, bright yellow, appear in winter and are borne in long (10-20 cm), upright, cylindrical clusters just above the upper most leaves.  Fruit is a powder blue.
  • Part shade, especially in the afternoon, moist, well drained soil.  May need protection from cold in much of the Pacific Northwest.  Used as a specimen plant.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone (7) 8      Native to Burma (Myanmar), western China and Taiwan.
  • Mahonia: after Bernard McMahon (born 1816), American nurseryman. lomariifolia: with leaves like Lomaria, now Blechnum.
  • Oregon State Univ., campus: at the 11th Street Gate on Campus Way
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, flowering

    plant habit, flowering

  • leaves and developing flower clusters

    leaves and developing flower clusters

  • portion of leaf

    portion of leaf

  • developing flower clusters

    developing flower clusters

  • flower cluster and leaves

    flower cluster and leaves

  • flowers

    flowers

  • fruit cluster and leaves

    fruit cluster and leaves