Winter is a great time to put new background shrubs into our gardens and prepared beds. A question often asked is "What shows well in shady areas of the garden?" One of my favorite small shrubs for the shady area is the Leather Leaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei). The Leather Leaf Mahonia is an evergreen shrub that usually remains three to four feet in height in this area. It can reach heights in excess of seven feet in warmer climates.
The characteristics of the Mahonia that make it noteworthy include strong, spiny, compound green leaflets on long vertical stalks. In early spring, or during a warm winter, the Mahonia produces a cluster of yellow flowers for a top ornament, which is followed by beautiful grayish-blue berries the size of blueberries.
The Leather Leaf Mahonia can be propagated either by seed or by cuttings.
The Mahonia thrives in sandy soil and should be planted in a prepared bed. It requires only moderate watering and little fertilizer. The Mahonia is stately and dramatic when mixed with other background shrubs. Several of them show well mixed with hardy ferns.
Janice Suggs, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas Cooperative Extension
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