Nevin's barberry is an evergreen shrub native to southern California foothills. It grows 6-12 feet tall and wide, with blue-green spiny leaves and attractive red-brown branches. From March to April it produces showy yellow flowers followed by striking yellow-red berries. Nevin's barberry is drought tolerant and can be used as a screen, hedge, or accent plant in gardens, providing habitat and food for birds. It requires full sun, well-drained soil, and infrequent deep watering once established.

1. * Nevin’s Barberry – Mahonia (Berberis) nevinii
(muh-HOE-nee-uh neh-VIN-ee-uh)
Family: Berberaceae (Barberry Family)
Native to: Rare in foothills of San Gabriel mountains to Riverside and San Bernardino Counties; San
Fernando Valley Foothills; in sandy to gravelly soils in washes, and on rocky chaparral slopes.
woody shrub
mature height: 6-12 ft.
mature width: 6-12 ft.
Evergreen woody shrub with stiff branches and a rounded top. Leaves are blue-green, tapered and
spiny (like a holly). Shape is mounded, dense and spreading.
Branches are an attractive redbrown. Moderate growth rate.
Growth characteristics:
Blooms Mar-Apr. Showy, fragrant yellow flowers in loose clusters along branches.
Fruits is a striking yellow-red to red berry, to 1/3 inch long, in summer/fall. Fruits are edible (make
a good jelly) but birds usually eat most of the berries.
Blooms/fruits:
Uses in the garden: Most often used as an evergreen shrub. Works well in a mixed border, or as a
hedge, screen or barrier plant. Outside the garden it is often utilized along roadsides, fence-lines,
slopes, and upland riparian areas. Tolerant of wide range of garden conditions. Good accent plant
with showy blooms/berries and interesting leaf-shape & color. Nice along sunny south-facing walls.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native hollies, barberries; other large dense upright shrubs.
Excellent bird habitat plant. Provides good cover (even the cats don’t like the spiny
leaves) . Berries are a favorite for berry-eating birds incl. Towhees, Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings.
Attracts:
Requirements:
Element
Sun
Soil
Water
Fertilizer
Other
Requirement
Full sun best; may grow in part shade, but will not flower/fruit as well.
Any well-drained soil – not particular; any local pH is fine, but probably does best
with slightly acidic. May benefit from organic mulch (pine needle or redwood bark)
Very drought tolerant once established; better bloom with infrequent deep watering.
Fairly adaptable to garden conditions.
None needed
Organic mulch
Prune to shape – even shear as a hedge. Young plants will become fuller with tip
pruning (pinching) to increase branching. Remove dead branches. Severely prune to rejuvenate.
Management:
Propagation: from seed: yes; fresh seed in fall or cold-treat for spring
(dormant in fall) or division of suckers in spring.
by cuttings: root cuttings
Leaf cuttings can also be successful.
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 1, 3, 8, 11, 13, 14, 20, 28
2/18/11
* CA native plant but not native to Western L.A. county
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