Magical mahonias
As the cold, grey winter months set in, one stunning shrub’s going right against the flow...
THERE’S a handsome, evergreen shrub in my local park that forms a thicket of tall stems clothed with glossy, prickly leaves. For much of the year it could pass for a holly, but in late autumn it reveals its true self to passers-by when it is topped with sprays of upright yellow flowers.
Once decked out with blooms, the plant is unmistakably Mahonia x media ‘Charity’, a wonderful shrub that doesn’t just add muscular presence and colour to the colder months – its flowers also possess a fragrance reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley.
Discovered as a wild seedling at a nursery in Northern Ireland during the 1950s, ‘Charity’ is also attractive to wildlife. The bright flowers are a valuable source of nectar to solitary bees and other pollinating insects, while hungry birds will gorge on the dusky blue berries that follow.
This late-season cracker is just one of almost 100 different types of mahonia with similar attributes. Plants range in height from 18in to 15ft or more, with flowers that are generally yellow, although some have red blooms or contrasting buds that open to create a two-tone effect.
Wild species are native to the Himalayas and East Asia, along with North and Central America, where they can be found growing in a wide range of habitats from woodland to mountainsides. As a rule, oriental species are taller than their American cousins, which tend to have a spreading habit.
Mahonias have been embellishing British gardens since 1823, when Mahonia aquifolium arrived from western North America. Commonly known as Oregon grape, it forms a spreading dome, making it useful for ground cover. The shrub is later in flowering than many, with ball-like clusters of yellow in spring.
Its nickname is a reference to the dark blue berries that are held in large bunches on branches in autumn. Rich in Vitamin C, there is a long tradition in the USA of turning them into preserves.
As far as I’m concerned, the American mahonias are real workhorses, but if it’s looks you’re after, then you have to go for the Asiatic types. First to set flower, from late October onwards, are the varieties of Mahonia x media.
Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ is by far the most popular one, but there are several others worth considering. M. x media ‘Lionel Fortescue’ has upright, 16in-long racemes of bright yellow flowers and M. x media ‘Winter Sun’ boasts large spikes of flowers from November to March.
Another winner is M. x media ‘Buckland’, an architectural shrub that can grow to around 15ft and has arching sprays of lemon-coloured flowers up to 18in long. As a bonus, the foliage takes on reddish hues when temperatures dive.
INTRODUCED to our shores in the 19th Century, M. japonica produces long, pendulous sprays of lemonyellow flowers from December until early spring. It’s a superb garden plant that makes a 7ft by 7ft mound, with leaves that turn purplish in winter. Perhaps the most exciting mahonia of modern times is M. eurybracteata subsp ganpinensis ‘Soft Caress’. Named Chelsea Flower Show plant of the year in 2013, it is the first with spine-free leaves and boasts short spikes of yellow flowers in autumn. This plant only grows to 3ft and is suitable for large containers.
Another compact beauty is Mahonia nitens ‘Cabaret’, whose orange-red buds open to reveal yellow flowers from late August until November. All of these shrubs are fairly easy-going and will do well in just about any type of soil, so long as it isn’t boggy or particularly dry. They are happy in sun or partial shade, but ensure they are sheltered from the wind. Mahonias are perfect for providing structure at the back of a border, planted in woodland or rubbing shoulders with sarcococca, hellebores and dogwoods in a dedicated winter-interest bed. The strong shape of the M. x media clan make them ideal for combining with exotics, such as bamboos and palms.
Keep them in shape by removing dead, diseased and damaged growth after flowering.