Jam today and tomorrow with hardy mahonia
There aren’t many shrubs that can claim that their flowers smell of lily of the valley and that their berries can be made into jam – but mahonias can.
Named after Irish nurseryman Bernard McMahon, who settled in Philadelphia in the 18th century, they smell great and, if you don’t mind a bit of bitterness, their dark fruits can be made into a preserve.
So that’s two good reasons to grow at least one of the 70-or-so plants which go to make up this interesting and very useful family of mainly upright, bushy and evergreen shrubs that in most cases offer year-round interest and seem content to grow just about anywhere.
They’re also pretty tough. Even in hard winters the majority of mahonias can withstand ice and snow and bounce back to doing what they do best – growing.
Mahonia Japonica and M “Charity” are two of the most popular. The former usually grows to no more than six or seven feet tall and perhaps a bit more in width, although if it’s allowed to go unchecked, the latter will eventually grow 15ft tall and 12ft wide. From late autumn right through to the following spring, “Charity” has long, fragrant spikes of yellow flowers. For the rest of the year it’s clothed in toothed, darkgreen leaves.
If both sound too big, there’s always Mahonia Aquifolium, which reaches only around three feet in height.
Mahonias like a well-drained, rich soil and a bit of shade. They seem to grow best in light woodland.
Mahonias are best left unpruned but there are times when it can’t be avoided.
All pruning is best done in late summer, removing dead and damaged branches and foliage, and cutting to shape.
If you have an established mahonia that seems bare at the bottom and has leggy bare branches, pruning can encourage new growth. Remove some branches completely to allow light into the centre of the plant.