Creeping Oregon grape | |
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Berberis repens with ripening fruit Grand Mesa, Colorado | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Ranunculales |
Family: | Berberidaceae |
Genus: | Berberis |
Species: | B. repens |
Binomial name | |
Berberis repens | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Berberis repens commonly known as creeping mahonia, creeping grape holly, or creeping barberry, is a species of Berberis native to most of the western United States and two western provinces of Canada. It is low growing shrub that spreads by underground stems. As a species it is well adapted to fire and is a very common understory plant in western forests. An evergreen species, it provides food to deer and elk in winter and can make up a significant part of their diet. The berries are eaten by birds and small mammals, aiding it in spreading to recently disturbed areas. It has found use as a xeric ornamental plant and has escaped from cultivation in areas beyond its native range.
Berberis repens is an extremely short shrub, usually just 2–20 centimeters (0.79–7.9 in) tall, very occasionally reaching 60 centimeters 60 centimeters (24 in). The bark on stems becomes gray-purple or gray in color and are not hairy. [3] The plants spread by modified underground stems (rhizomes) that are about 1.5–5.0 centimeters 1.5–5.0 centimeters (0.59–2.0 in) under the surface of the mineral soil. [4] [5] Despite the short above ground height its roots can reach as much as three meters into the ground. [6]
The leaves are compound with an odd number of leaflets attached to the main vein. Usually leaves have five or seven leaflets, but may have just three. The length of a complete leaf structure will be 10–30 centimeters 10–30 centimeters (3.9–12 in). The upper surfaces of the leaflets are smooth and dark green while the undersides are lighter green and covered in fine, downy hairs. [7] The edges of the leaflets have between six and twenty-four teeth tipped with spines. [3] Although it is evergreen, in the fall and winter leaves will partially or completely turn bronze or red in color when exposed to sun. [8]
The flowers grow in a densely packed inflorescence without branches called a raceme. Each one will have between ten and fifty flowers and be 4–10 centimeters (1.6–3.9 in) long. [7] [3] The yellow flowers bloom early in the spring and are quite fragrant. [4] Local condition determine the exact timing of the bloom which may be as early as February or as late as June. [9] [3] The flowers have six yellow sepals outside the six yellow petals with the tip of each split. Each flower has a single pistil, but six pollen producing stamens which emerge when the petals or sepals are touched. [10]
Berberis repens has quite striking dark purple-black berries with a matte blue blush that contain a single seed and resemble a grape. [10] Each berry is roughly round, about 6–10 millimeters in size, and juicy in texture. [3] The flavor of the berries is quite tart with an astringent quality, and generally more attractive to birds than humans. [9]
Berberis repens was scientifically described by John Lindley in 1828. Two years later George Don published a description of it classifying it as Mahonia repens. [2] The correct classification of this and the other species into a separate Mahonia genus or with the rest of the barberries in Berberis has been controversial since that time. [11] In 1997 a widely cited paper by Joseph Edward Laferrière summarized the arguments in favor of Berberis as the correct classification. [12] Though genetic work since that time has argued for the revival of at least part of the genus. [13]
Some botanical sources, such as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database (PLANTS), continue to list the species as Mahonia repens. [14] However, as of 2024 Plants of the World Online, [2] World Flora Online, [15] and NatureServe [1] agree that it is properly placed in Berberis. Additionally, some botanists treat the plant as a subspecies of Oregon-grape holly (Berberis aquifolium), in which case the scientific name Berberis aquifolium var. repens is applied. [16]
The species name, repens, is Latin for "creeping". [17] Berberis repens is commonly known as "creeping grape holly", [8] "creeping grapeholly", [18] "creeping mahonia", [19] "creeping barberry", [20] and "creeping Oregon grape". [21]
The Ute dialect name for this species is "ksǐq-o-a-ats". [22]
It is native to the botanical continent of Northern America. In Canada its range is the southern parts of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. [23] [24] [25] In the United States it is found throughout the west from Washington (state) to California and eastwards to Montana to New Mexico including all the states between. East of the Rocky Mountains it is also found in the US states of Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Minnesota. [14] [2]
It has also been found as an introduced species in Ontario, Canada and Hungary in the European Union. [23] [2] NatureServe also lists it as introduced to the US states of Pennsylvania and Delaware. [1]
It is widespread, and found at low to mid elevation on dry plateaus, in forests, and on foothills. [21] They are associated with many different ecosystems across the west including the grand fir forests, mountain and basin big sagebrush, Rocky Mountain juniper stands, western larch forests, pinyon-juniper woodlands, lodgepole pine forests in the Sierra Nevadas and Rocky Mountains, ponderosa pine woodlands in the interior and Pacific Northwest, quaking aspen groves across the west, mountain grasslands, oak savannas in New Mexico and Arizona, and in Gambel oak scrub. [26] The plant grows at elevations from 150 metres (490 ft) to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). [16] [3]
The NatureServe conservation status for the species is "Globally Secure" G5 as evaluated in 2015. Though it is critically imperiled at the state or province level (S1) in Saskatchewan and Texas, imperiled (S2) in North Dakota, and vulnerable (S3) in Alberta. [1]
Creeping grapeholly generally increases in response to disturbances in forest ecosystems such as mild fires, severe fires, and logging, [26] though it may be eliminated in the short term by severe intensity fires. [5] As a long lived plant with a protected root system and seeds that are presumed to persist in the soil it recovers quickly from low intensity fires. [26] The above ground stems and parts of the plant in the forest humus are vulnerable to fire damage, but resprouts from undamaged rhizomes in the mineral soil. [5] It decreases over time when the forest canopy is too dense, though it can tolerate significant shade and increases as other plants are negatively impacted by acidification of the soil by conifer trees. [26]
The leaves and stems are slightly poisonous to livestock and not very palatable. [27] It is considered poor forage for both horses and cattle, but is considered fair forage for sheep in Utah and Wyoming. [26] It is browsed by various wild animals. Elk and white tailed deer both consume creeping grapeholly in the winter and to a greater extent when the weather is mild and there is less snow covering the plants. [28] Mule deer also readily consume the leaves and stems during the winter and early spring. [29] [26] Under certain conditions it may make up the largest portion of their diet in winter. [29] It is also eaten to some degree by the Mountain cottontail rabbit and heavily eaten by the snowshoe hare in winter. [30] [31]
The berries are consumed by many species of bird and small mammal, but they are not a significant portion of their diet. [26] Other than the sharp-tailed grouse, no specific bird associations have been recorded. [32]
The berries are edible, but are considered bitter. [21] Wild foraged berries are used to make jellies or wine with the addition of sugar. [19] [33]
The Tolowa and Karok Indians of Northwest California used the roots for a blood and cough tonic. The Hopi, Paiute, Navajo, Shoshoni, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Mendocino, and other tribes also used the plant for medicinal, food, and ceremonial needs. [34] Native Americans also used the wood of the stem to produce yellow dyes [19] to stain woven baskets. [21]
Creeping grapeholly is cultivated as an ornamental plant for use in natural landscaping, and in water conserving, drought tolerant, traditional residential, native plant habitat, and wildlife gardens. [19] It is a low water ground cover and is used in gardens under oaks to reduce or eliminate irrigation that can threaten mature trees. [35] It also is a good partner with western North American trees or bushes such as Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine, golden currant, or Rocky Mountain juniper. [36] The foliage is resistant to browsing by deer, [18] though they will be eaten in the winter to some extent. [26] Because of its spreading habit it is used to control erosion in dry areas, [10] though it is not a fast spreading plant. [36] It is the very deep and extensive root system that gives the plants their adaptation to low water conditions. [26] Plants grown from seed are widely available from commercial and non-profit sources, but no cultivars have been developed. Bare root plants are slower to recover and establish than potted plants. [36] The seeds are more likely to germinate after having experienced several cycles of warm and cold weather. [37]
Plants require well drained soil and prefer a soil pH 5.5 to 7.0, but will tolerate 4.5 to 7.5. In winter the leaves may be scalded by excessive sun especially in combination with dry winds. [10] Sources differ on the winter hardiness of creeping grape holly. In their book Nora Harlow and Saxon Holt list USDA zones 4–10. [38] Similarly the North Carolina Extension lists the range as 4b–9b. [18] However, the Missouri Botanic Garden lists a narrower range of just zone 5–8. [19] The leaves are particularly sensitive to airborne fluoride pollution. [39] Unlike other related species such as Berberis aquifolium , Berberis bealei , or Berberis fortunei , [40] creeping grapeholly is immune to the mahonia rust, Cumminsiella mirabilissima. [41]
The size of plants is determined by water availability. With the shortest stem sizes growing with minimal water and larger ones towards the maximum of its moisture tolerance. [36]
Berberis aquifolium, the Oregon grape or holly-leaved barberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to western North America. It is an evergreen shrub growing 1–3 meters tall and 1.5 m (5 ft) wide, with pinnate leaves consisting of spiny leaflets, and dense clusters of yellow flowers in early spring, followed by dark bluish-black berries.
Mahonia is a formerly accepted genus of approximately 70 species of shrubs or, rarely, small trees with evergreen leaves in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia, the Himalaya, North America, and Central America. They are closely related to the genus Berberis and as of 2023 the majority of botanical sources list it as a synonym for Berberis.
Berberis, commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ft) tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world. Species diversity is greatest in South America and Asia; Europe, Africa and North America have native species as well. The best-known Berberis species is the European barberry, Berberis vulgaris, which is common in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia, and has been widely introduced in North America. Many of the species have spines on the shoots and all along the margins of the leaves.
Juniperus scopulorum, the Rocky Mountain juniper, is a species of juniper native to western North America, from southwest Canada to the Great Plains of the United States and small areas of northern Mexico. They are the most widespread of all the New World junipers. They are relatively small trees, occasionally just a large bush or stunted snag. They tend to be found in isolated groves or even as single trees rather than as the dominant tree of a forest. Though they can survive fires, they are vulnerable to them especially when young and this is one of the factors that can limit their spread into grasslands.
Berberis pinnata is a species of shrub in the barberry family. Common names include California barberry, wavyleaf barberry, and shinyleaf mahonia. It is similar to the Oregon-grape, and is sometimes called the California Oregon-grape.
Berberis nervosa, commonly known as dwarf Oregon-grape, Cascade barberry, Cascade Oregon-grape, or dull Oregon-grape, is a flowering plant native to the northwest coast of North America from southern British Columbia south to central California, with an isolated population inland in northern Idaho. It is especially common in second growth, Douglas-fir or western redcedar forests, making use of those pools of sunlight that intermittently reach the ground.
Berberis trifoliolata is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, in southwestern North America. Common names include agarita, agrito, algerita, currant-of-Texas, wild currant, and chaparral berry. The name Agarita comes from the Spanish verb agarrar, which means "to grab". The ending "-ita" is often added to little things, so agarita means "grabs a little". This was probably said because the bush is a bit scratchy but does not have significant spines. Typical characteristics are grey-green to blue-grey leaves, yellow flowers in February to April and the red berries appearing in May. The most important harvest organ are the berries, though the roots and seeds can also be used.
Berberis oiwakensis is a species of plant in the barberry family, Berberidaceae. It is native to Taiwan, China and Myanmar, where it occurs at elevations of 600 to 3800 m. It has recently been found naturalized in South Africa.
Berberis nevinii, known by the common name Nevin's barberry, is a species of flowering shrub in the barberry family.
Berberis fremontii is a species of barberry known by the common name Frémont's mahonia.
Calochortus persistens is a rare North American species of flowering plant in the lily family known by the common name Siskiyou mariposa lily. It is native to northern California and southern Oregon.
Berberis piperiana is a shrub native to the mountains of northern California and southwestern Oregon. It is found in open and wooded slopes at elevations of 900–1,700 m (3,000–5,600 ft).
Berberis fortunei is a species of shrub in the family Berberidaceae, the barberry family, described in 1846. It is endemic to China, found in the provinces of Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, and Zhejiang. It is grown as an ornamental in many lands, with common names including Chinese mahonia, Fortune's mahonia, and holly grape.
Phacelia argillacea is a rare species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names clay phacelia and Atwood's phacelia. It is endemic to Utah in the United States, where it is known only from one canyon in Utah County. It is "one of Utah's most endangered species"; it is "one of the nation's rarest plants" and is federally listed as an endangered species of the United States.
Erythranthe hymenophylla, synonym Mimulus hymenophyllus, is a species of flowering plant in the lopseed family known by the common names thinsepal monkeyflower and membrane-leaf monkeyflower. It is native to Hells Canyon on the border between Oregon and Idaho in the United States. It has also been reported from Montana.
Physocarpus malvaceus is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common name mallow ninebark. It is native to western North America.
Berberis harrisoniana is a rare species of flowering plant in the barberry family, Berberidaceae. It is known by the common names Kofa barberry, Kofa Mountain barberry, Harrison's barberry, and red barberry.
Berberis haematocarpa, Woot. with the common names red barberry, red Mexican barbery, Colorado barberry and Mexican barberry, is a species in the Barberry family in southwestern North America. It is also sometimes called algerita, but that name is more often applied to its relative, Mahonia trifoliolata.
Berberis dictyota, now reclassified as Berberis aquifolium var. dictyota, with the common names Jepson's oregon grape and shining netvein barberry, is a flowering plant in the Barberry family.
Berberis bealei, also known as leatherleaf mahonia, Beale's barberry, is a species of evergreen shrub native to mainland China. The species has been regarded as the same species as Berberis japonica, native to Taiwan, but the two differ consistently in certain floral and leaf characters. Both species are widely cultivated in many countries as ornamentals. Berberis bealei has reportedly escaped cultivation and become established in the wild in scattered places in the south-eastern United States from Arkansas to Florida to Delaware.