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Red Barberry

Mahonia haematocarpa

Red barberry is a spiny, holly-leaved evergreen of the Southwestern desert, with fragrant yellow spring flowers and translucent red berries used for jelly. Drought-proof and deer-resistant.

Family
Berberidaceae
Type
shrub
Lifespan
perennial
Height
3–10 ft
Spacing
4–8 ft apart
Light
sun
Soil moisture
dry
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Bloom
March, April
Bloom colors
yellow
Wildlife value
pollinators, songbirds, larval host
Caterpillar hosts
~12 butterfly & moth species
Landscape uses
specimen, hedge or screen
Native states
AZ, NM, TX