A native in the garden: Oregon grape

by Vicky Barney    This spring, everywhere I look - on the trail and in my yard - I see pretty clusters of small bright yellow flowers above holly-shaped spiny leaves, leaves that are mostly rich green and may have spots of orange and red.   These small woody shrubs are Oregon grape, named for their edible but tart grape-like berries that appear later in the summer.      The tall form of Oregon grape ( Mahonia aquifolium or Berberis aquifolium) is the state flower of Oregon and grows 3 – 6 feet tall.   The plant I am seeing is much smaller (1 – 2 feet tall) and is Creeping Oregon grape ( Mahonia repens or Berberis repens).      This broadleaf evergreen plant has many names – Oregon grape, Oregon grapeholly, Holly-grape, Mountain holly – which is confusing because it is neither a grape nor a holly. Creeping Oregon grape may also be called creeping mahonia, creeping barberry, or prostrate barberry.   Even the Latin names are confusing.    The plant is sometimes listed with the genus Maho