leatherleaf mahonia
(Mahonia bealei)
Overview
- Appearance
- Mahonia bealei is an evergreen shrub that can grow from 5-10 ft. (1.5-3 m) tall.
- Foliage
- Leaves are pinnately compound, 18 in. (46 cm) long, with 9-13 holly-like leaflets. Leaflets are 2-4 in. (5-10 cm) long and 1-2 in. (2.5-5.1 cm) wide.
- Flowers
- Flowering occurs in late winter and early spring, when fragrant, lemon-yellow flowers develop.
- Fruit
- The fruits are green berries, about 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) long, that turn bluish black with a grayish bloom. Fruits hang in grapelike clusters.
- Ecological Threat
- Mahonia bealei is native to China. It has been planted as an ornamental and is now invading woodlands in the southern United States.
Resources
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service
- Invasive Plant Alert - National Park Service
- Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland - Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC), USDA APHIS PPQ
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State List - This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law. For more information, visit Invasive.org
Invasive Listing Sources
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council - Category 3
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- Jil Swearingen, personal communication, 2009-2017
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Moderate Threat
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: Restriction on Planting Exotic Invasive Plants
- Maryland Invasive Species Council - Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- National Park Service, National Capital Region Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
- Non-Native Invasive Plants of Arlington County, Virginia
- Non-Native Invasive Plants of the City of Alexandria, Virginia
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas
- South Carolina Exotic Pest Plant Council
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council
- Virginia Invasive Plant Species List
- Virginia Master Naturalists Priority Species List
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
Taxonomic Rank
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass: Magnoliidae |
| Order: Ranunculales |
| Family: Berberidaceae |
| Genus: Mahonia |
| Subject: Mahonia bealei (Fortune) Carr. |
Synonyms and Other Names
Other Common Names:
Beale's barberry, Beale's Oregon-grape
Related Scientific Names:
Berberis bealei (Fortune) Carr. (Synonym)