Mahonia Charity is an architectural statement in your garden year-round.
Up to two metres tall, evergreen leaves, fragrant yellow spikes of flowers from late October to early February, black-blue berries in the late spring - what's not to love?
These nectar and pollen rich winter flowers feed hummingbirds and hardy naive bumblebees still active during mild winter weather. Look for 'Winter Sun' if you want a smaller variety.
Like most good perennials, it bulks up over the years, multiplying from one stalk to multiples, but it does not self-seed or send uninvited root-runners into the surrounding soil.
Plant Mahonia 'Charity' under or behind trees or shrubs. It grows happily in the shade during the summer while other plants bloom. When the leaves from these other plants fall in autumn, you'll see her start to bloom, a golden-topped beacon in the darkest months.
You'll find other varieties of Mahonia at garden shops. Commonly called Oregon Grape, these are the tough shrubs commonly planted as a commercial landscape feature. Their flowers are clusters, not spikes, and they tend to grow bushy, not statuesquely. Read the name tag carefully or order the specific variety, either tall 'Charity' or shorter "Winter Sun'.
Editor's note: This is an ongoing weekly online feature from the South Delta Garden Club.
