Tough shrubs with dark fruit good for jams
These mainly upright, bushy and evergreen shrubs in most cases offer year-round interest and grow just about anywhere. They’re also pretty tough. Even in hard winters the majority of mahonias can withstand the ice.
Mahonia Japonica and M ‘Charity’ are two of the most popular. The former usually grows to no more than six or seven feet tall and a bit more in width, although if it’s allowed to go unchecked, the latter will eventually grow 15ft tall and 12ft wide.
Hide AdFrom late autumn to the following spring it has long, fragrant spikes of yellow flowers. For the rest of the year it’s clothed in toothed, dark-green leaves.
Mahonias like a well-drained, rich soil and a bit of shade, and are best left unpruned but there are times when it can’t be avoided. All pruning is best done in late summer, removing dead and damaged branches and foliage, and cutting to shape.