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Berberis repens
Also called Creeping Oregon Grape, Creeping Mahonia, Creeping Barberry, Trailing Mahonia, Oregon Barberry, Oregon Grape Holly, Trunkee Barberry
Berberis repens is a tiny evergreen shrub, usually 2 to 20 cm tall, that spreads by underground rhizomes into a low ground cover. It is a species, not a genus, and its key to growing it is full or partial sun with very little water once established, as its deep roots handle dry conditions.
Berberis repens commonly known as creeping mahonia, creeping grape holly, or creeping barberry, is a species of Berberis native to most of the western United States and two western provinces of Canada. It is low growing shrub that spreads by underground stems. As a species it is well adapted to fire and is a very common understory plant in western forests. An evergreen species, it provides food to deer and elk in winter and can make up a significant part of their diet. The berries are eaten by birds and small mammals, aiding it in spreading to recently disturbed areas. It has found use as a xeric ornamental plant and has escaped from cultivation in areas beyond its native range.
Creeping grapeholly is cultivated as an ornamental plant for use in natural landscaping, and in water conserving, drought tolerant, traditional residential, native plant habitat, and wildlife gardens. It is a low water ground cover and is used in gardens under oaks to reduce or eliminate irrigation that can threaten mature trees. It also is a good partner with western North American trees or bushes such as Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine, golden currant, or Rocky Mountain juniper. The foliage is resistant to browsing by deer, though they will be eaten in the winter to some extent. Because of its spreading habit it is used to control erosion in dry areas, though it is not a fast spreading plant. It is the very deep and extensive root system that gives the plants their adaptation to low water conditions. Plants grown from seed are widely available from commercial and non-profit sources, but no cultivars have been developed. Bare root plants are slower to recover and establish than potted plants.
It is native to the botanical continent of Northern America. In Canada its range is the southern parts of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. In the United States it is found throughout the west from Washington (state) to California and eastwards to Montana to New Mexico including all the states between. East of the Rocky Mountains it is also found in the US states of Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota.
The berries are edible, but are considered bitter. Wild foraged berries are used to make jellies or wine with the addition of sugar.
Oregon Grape · Shining Netvein Barberry · Cascade Oregon Grape · Berberis bealei · Berberis oiwakensis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Berberis repens by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
