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Try the Leatherleaf Mahonia in shady areas
Mississippi Gardens Newspaper and Web Column - January 13, 2003

Every Southern landscape has a shady spot that just begs to be given a chance to become the best looking part of an outdoor living area. Shady spots tend to be the best places to situate a swing or patio chairs for spending time outside. These areas can be enhanced with the addition of shade loving or shade tolerant plants that are readily available from local garden centers.

There are many choices of plants for landscaping shady areas. One can find annuals, perennials, groundcover, shrubs, trees and vines for areas with partial to deep shade. Some of the more common choices include English Ivy, Confederate jasmine, azaleas, aucuba, Japanese cleyera, Aspidistra (Cast Iron Plant), Monkey grass, Gardenia, Flowering Dogwood and Redbud just to name a few.

There are many noteworthy, shade tolerant plants that have found their place in the "sun" (pardon the pun). However, there is one that is so underused it is shameful. Sometimes I wonder why certain plants become so pushed to the back of the marketplace when they have so much to offer. One of these I refer to is Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei).

Leatherleaf Mahonia is a medium-sized evergreen shrub that will grow 5 to 6 feet tall and about as wide. Plant it in most any soil, from sand to clay, as long as the soil is well drained. It grows well in low light situations where it will develop into a striking accent plant that looks great in combination with other landscape shrubs.

This time of year, Leatherleaf Mahonia displays showy yellow flowers in three to five inch racemes. The flowers will ultimately develop into 1/2 inch blue-black berries that appear grapelike in April. This very attractive attribute of Leatherleaf sets it apart from any other foundation shrub.

While other shrubs may suffer from insect or disease pests, the Leatherleaf Mahonia is virtually pest free. The only maintenance that may be necessary beyond the typical watering and fertilizing is an occasional ground level pruning. The Mahonia grows on stems referred to as canes that can be cut close to the soil line to rejuvenate the plant if needed.

When shopping for Leatherleaf Mahonia you may also find other Mahonia with slightly differing characteristics. These include Oregon Hollygrape (Mahonia aquifolium) that is a dwarf form with yellow flowers and blue-black berries but is a target for scale and whitefly. Another is Chinese Mahonia (Mahonia fortunei) that has a more refined, feathery appearance but lacks the bloom and berry of its larger cousin.

Landscaping in shady areas does not have to be a difficult chore especially when it comes to plant selection. Whenever you need plants for a shady situation remember to include a few Leatherleaf Mahonia.

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These archived columns were written by Kerry Johnson, a hobby gardener, former weekly newspaper columnist and an Area Extension Horticulture Agent for 11 coastal counties in Mississippi.