Scientific Name:
Berberis
x
media
'Charity'
Pronunciation:
BUR-bur-iss ex MEE-dee-uh
Common Name:
charity mahonia
Family Name:
Berberidaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Vase shape shrub; leaves about 20cm long, odd pinnate, sessile, 17-21 ovate-lanceolate leaflets, toothed; berries ovate, 11-13mm long, blue-black, May-June. Winter ID: flowers yellow, Dec-Feb, densely-clustered raceme, 25cm long; bark bright yellow inner colour.
Habit:
Arching, Open, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical, Vase
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
3 - 5m
Mature Spread:
3 - 4m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Garden origin (B. oiwakensis x B. japonica)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Container planting, Fall interest, Filler, Fragrance, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Screening, Security/barrier, Specimen plant, Tall background, Winter interest, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google (the current accepted genus name is Berberis but it's still commonly sold and known as Mahonia (syn. Berberis x hortensis).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Prickly
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Compound Leaf:
Odd-pinnate
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Obtuse
Margins:
Dentate
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
Sweet
Flower Time at Peak:
Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec
Fruit Type:
Berry (true)
Fruit Colour:
Blue, Purple
Fruiting Time:
Jan, Feb
Additional Info:
Showy
Bark Morphology:
Multi-stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Brown
Organ Modifications:
Spines, Stipule, leafy
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings, Division - below ground parts, Eye (leaf bud) cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot, Galls, Rust, Scale insects
