Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Ranunculales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Mahonia bealei
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Learn more about Leatherleaf Mahonia from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Mahonia bealei
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Berberis bealei
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 077-02-001:
Mahonia bealei FAMILY Berberidaceae
COMMON NAME:
Leatherleaf Mahonia, Chinese Mahonia, Holly-grape
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm160103_126
January Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
)
JK Marlow jkm160103_128
January Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Flowers yellow with three whorls of sepals and one whorl of petals, per Flora of China.
)
JK Marlow jkm0403q_34
March Greenville County SC
Roadside
)
JK Marlow jkm0403q_35
March Greenville County SC
Roadside
A clumsy, upright, coarse, evergreen shrub growing 6-10'(12) high, per Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr, 1975+).
)
JK Marlow jkm160311_212
March Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm160311_221
March Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm0404zc_20
April Greenville County SC
Roadside
Fruit is a bluish berry maturing in July-August, per Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr, 1975+).
)
JK Marlow jkm0504c_12
April Greenville County SC
Naturalizing widely (and increasingly aggressively) in the southeastern United States, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
)
JK Marlow jkm0504f_35
April Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow s040429_ab
April Greenville County SC
Roadside
Leaflet blades with 2-7 teeth per side; leaflets very thick and stiff, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
COMPARE
pinnately compound leaves of shrubs
)
JK Marlow jkm061126_024
November Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm061126_033
November Greenville County SC
Axillary racemes of bright yellow flowers, per Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989).
)
JK Marlow jkm151212_056
December Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm151212_058
December Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm151212_059
December Greenville County SC
)
Robert Vidéki, Doronicum Kft., Bugwood.org bug_5397262
Month Unknown Hungary
Leaflets sessile on the rachis, which appears jointed, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
Robert Vidéki, Doronicum Kft., Bugwood.org bug_5398955
Month Unknown Hungary
)
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org bug_5421954
Month Unknown
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Mahonia bealei
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Mahonia bealei
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Berberis bealei
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 077-02-001:
Mahonia bealei
FAMILY
Berberidaceae
902
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: In deciduous forests in suburban areas, spread from plantings, not naturalized and invasive, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: China
Common in Piedmont & SC Mountains (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- SC Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2014
- SC Native Plant Society
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
- US Forest Service Southern Research Station
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Leaflet margins spiny
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Odd-pinnately compound: 9-13(15) leaflets
Alternate
FLOWER:
Winter/Spring
Yellow
Radially symmetrical
3-merous
6 sepals
6 petals
6 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
Flowers in axillary racemes
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Blue
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010) p046
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p059
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p210
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".