Great article, Debbie. But, you know me, I have to ask...where are the conifers?? I rely on their colored foliage in winter to perk up the garden (along with some of the plants you highlighted).

I was astonished with the bloom on your Oregon grape, I do not think mine has ever bloomed--at least I do not remember that it did, or maybe I just didn't look at the right time??? Anyway,that was a nice trip this morning! Thanks!

Edited by Joy C - Dec-29-2009 at 9:33am

Originally posted by silver_ creek Great article, Debbie. But, you know me, I have to ask...where are the conifers?? I rely on their colored foliage in winter to perk up the garden (along with some of the plants you highlighted).

I know, I know, but sometimes you have to narrow your focus or lose your audience. I will have to do a future article about conifers. You are right that conifers perk up the garden in winter and of course they are the bones that hold it up too.

I added links to the gallery with a long list on the end of plants with winter interest that are in the gallery. That doesn't mean it's a complete list, but it certainly gives a good start for a beautiful winter garden.

Joy, do you have an Oregon Grape (mahonia aquifolium) or Mahonia x media 'Charity' which, is what Deb was talking about? The flowers on Mahonia x media 'Charity' are bigger than mahonia aquifolium. I have noticed that my mahonia aquifolium flower much better if they get lots of sunlight. And they get beautiful red color as the temperatures get colder.

Thanks for the info,Jeanne, I really don't know which mahonia it is, so a bit of nursery trolling just made it onto my agenda to get acquainted with both of the varieties you mentioned, because I need both varieties. Right? You mentioned it doing better in good sun, Do you think that planting it on the west side of the house is enough? It would be in shade until at least noon.

Nice article Deb! I wonder though, why you didn't include one of the best natives- Snowberry? lol. Oh, and one not many think about but that I always get a kick out of in winter, are the grey stemmed raspberries. Rubus leucodermis especially, with its winter twigs going from olive green at the base, waxy grey white in the center and purple at the tips is always quite a show. The winter garden at the Washington Park Arboretum here in Seattle has a nice stand of an ornamental species with ghostly white waxy stems. It's nice, but i prefer the native (go figure, *grin*)

And a small correction Susan, Mahonia aquifolium is Oregon's state flower *grin*. Technically, the Asian Mahonias should really be called, as the English do, "Holly grapes". Honestly I would only call the native ones "Oregon grapes" since the others don't occur in Oregon, lol. Mahonia x media is an excellent plant I would be very sad to live without (the Annas hummingbirds are constantly on mine now, in the middle of winter, especially the varieties 'Arthur Menzies' and 'Charity'), but both its parents are Asian species. And yes, taxonomically these have been lumped into the Berberis by most botanists not on the west coast here, where we have several species. The main difference between the two genera is that the Mahonias as a group are evergreen, and have compound rather than simple leaves, and flowers in distinct terminal spikes. Some taxonimists don't consider these to be significant differences apparently (Berberis as a group is extremely varied, with some deciduous and evergreen species, and with flowers arranged in everything from small cluster or singly on the stems in the leaf axils to spikes and cymes at the tips of the branches), though the two groups seem to be fairly distinct for the most part.

Joy, if you can please describe the leaf for us, in detail, or even better, show us a picture. There are several species to choose from, and to know which one it is we need to know; how many leaflets per leaf (Mahonias have a compound leaf, and this is part of the identification to species), how large is the whole leaf with all the leaflets together, how tall is it, and what is it's general habit is (upright, sprawling, appearing to spread by underground runners...)

There are two native species (Mahonia aquifolium- upright usually to 6-10 feet, usually no more than 9 though occassionally as many as 13 on an older bush rounded to pointed leaflets per leaf and each leaf as a whole can reach a foot in length, can send out runners but not usually aggressive about that, blooms in early spring with the Red Flowering Currants and daffodils. These are plants of open prairies and woodland edges and preffer some sun to bloom their best, though really do just fine in shade; and Mahonia nervosa- upright to sprawling rarely over 2-3 feet, generally with 9-13 or even 17 or more usually distinctly pointed leaflets per leaf with the whole leaf stretching to a foot or so, some suckering but not aggressive spreading underground though it can and will layer as the stems touch ground. These bloom slightly later but still in early to mid spring. This is a plant of the forest understory and really resents being in much of any sun at all.) An addition species is found east of the mountain and is often sold as a native here as well (M. repens- usually sprawling to upright about 2 feet or more, usually 5-9 leaflets per stem but usually the whole leaf is between 6 and 12 inches in length, of a usually more bluish evergreen cast than the two just described and often more rounded leaflets in outline, often distinctly and aggressively suckering ground covering shrub, again, spring blooming.My limited experience with it tells me it prefers more sun this side of the mountains, though east of the mountains it is mostly found in the Ponderosa pine woodlands, which come to think of it are mostly pretty open compared to our westside forests.)

Then there are the usually MUCH larger Asian species- the closely related Mahonia japonica and M. bealii (which may be cognates), and M. lomariifolium are the most common in the trade. The hybrid between these is M. x media, in all its many cultivars. M. lomariifolium is a very beautiful, almost lacy leaved species, but is unfortunately only moderately hardy here. M. japinica and M. bealii are the hardier Asian ones, and both bloom late winter rather than early winter as does M. lomariifolium. Their hybrids can bloom anywhere from Thansgiving through till late January, depending on the cultivar. Most of these are very large shrubs- leaves have usually more than 15 leaflets and in some cultivars and species as many as 30 or more, individual leaves can stretch as a whole to two feet or more on most cultivars, and the plants generally reach 10-15 feet in height over time. I have seen NO indication that any of these sucker at the roots at all, though they can and will layer if the stems touch ground. Most are rather distinctly upright, and bloom just fine in full shade, though they will also do beautifully in full sun so long as it is not too hot or dry.

Honestly I love them all, lol, and you can occassionally find other additional species to add to your collection if you are one who likes to do so. Apparently there are several more sub-tropical and not too hardy Asian species, at least one of which has orange flowers rather than the standard yellow of the ones described above, and at least two additional American species I am aware of. None of these are common here in the nursery trade though, but if you do a google search on the genus you can probably find lots more info than what i have outlined above. Speaking of which, a google image search on the scientific name of any plant is an excellent way to see images of any plant you have a question about. There are a couple of websites that have huge libraries online of native plants too, so even obscure things you are not sure if you identified right are often represented with several pictures and maybe a botanical drawing or two. One of the modern wonders of the internet, in my humble opinion *grin*.

Ok, I'll stop hyjacking your thread Deb ;)