Oregon Grape

Berberis aquifolium

Holly-like evergreen leaves, fragrant yellow spring flowers, and blue berries — Oregon's state flower.

the Pacific NorthwestCaliforniathe Mountain Westthe Great Basin

Growing Oregon Grape

One of the best native broadleaf evergreens for dry shade in the West. The tart blue 'grapes' feed birds and make a sharp jelly. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, evergreen, and good for winter interest.

Where it grows

Oregon Grape is native to the Pacific Northwest. In the wild you’ll find it across Arizona · California · Colorado · Idaho · Montana · Nevada · New Mexico · Oregon · Utah · Washington and 1 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.

Regional Garden shows Oregon Grape on 11 state pages.

Good for

Pollinators For bees Hummingbirds For birds Deer-resistant Full sun

Sourcing

Where to buy Oregon Grape

Seeds & live plants on Amazon

Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.

Browse on Amazon

Some links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.

Plant it with

Companions & kin.

Natives that share Oregon Grape’s range and conditions.

Evergreen shrub

Hairy Manzanita

Arctostaphylos columbiana

Sculptural mahogany bark and early urn-shaped flowers that feed the West Coast's first bees of spring.

Full–part sun
Dry
3–9 ft
Blooms Mar–May

Shrub

Red-Flowering Currant

Ribes sanguineum

Cascades of rose-pink tassels timed exactly to the return of the rufous hummingbird each spring.

Full–part sun
Dry–average
5–9 ft
Blooms Mar–Apr

Shrub

Red-Twig Dogwood

Cornus sericea

Grown for its fire-engine-red winter stems, with white spring flowers and berries birds devour.

Full–part sun
Average–wet
6–9 ft
Blooms May–Jun

Shrub

Apache Plume

Fallugia paradoxa

White rose-like flowers and feathery pink seed plumes together on one airy desert shrub.

Full sun
Dry
3–6 ft
Blooms Apr–Sep