Mahonia repens (Creeping Mahonia)

Forming an attractive and tight ground cover, Mahonia repens (Creeping Mahonia) is a low-growing, evergreen shrub with multi-season interest. In spring, racemes of cheerful, bright golden-yellow flowers appear just above the leaves. Fragrant, they attract pollinators before giving way to clusters of dark blue-purple, edible berries in late summer. Resembling small grapes, they attract birds and wildlife. The lustrous foliage of holly-like, glossy, leathery, blue-green leaves turns mauve, rose, and rust-colored in winter.

• This broadleaf evergreen shrub spreads by underground stems at a moderate rate, up to 12-18 in. tall (30-45 cm), and spreads 12-36 in. (30-90 cm)
• A full sun to part shade lover, this plant is easily grown in average, medium moisture, acidic, well-drained soils. Prefers moist, humus-rich soils. Doesn’t tolerate too much heat or drying winds. Flowers and berries are more prolific in the sun.
• Drought tolerant once established, this plant is also deer and rabbit resistant.
• Winner of the GreatPlants award, which is a joint effort between the Nebraska Nursery, Landscape Association, and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. The goal of this award is to identify superior ornamental landscape plants that meet the challenging growing conditions of the region.
• Low maintenance, this plant may be susceptible to rust and leaf spots and occasionally attracts aphids, scale, and whitefly.
• Perfect as a ground cover for borders, erosion control, woodland gardens, and underplanting shrubs. It can also fill in nooks and crevices in rock gardens.
• Little pruning is required other than the removal of dead or broken limbs.
• Native to northwestern North America.