Overall plant
Common Name: Jepson's Oregon-grape
Type: Broadleaf evergreen
Family: Berberidaceae
Native Range: California
Zone: 7 to 10
Height: 2.00 to 6.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 6.00 feet
Bloom Time: February to April
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Evergreen
Attracts: Birds
Fruit: Showy
Other: Winter Interest
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Best grown in dry, well-draining soils in full sun to part shade. Drought tolerant. Hardy in USDA Zones 7-10.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Berberis dictyota, commonly called Jepson's Oregon-grape or shining netvein barberry, is a small, evergreen shrub endemic to dry, rocky slopes and canyons, chaparral, and open oak or pine woodlands in Californa. Mature plants will typically reach 2-6' tall and will slowly form a thicket or spreading mat from suckers. Two year old stems can be brown or purple. This plant is rarely branched and is often sparsely leafed. The leaves can reach up to 6" long and are made up of 5-7 rigid, leathery, grey-green leaflets. The 1-2" long leaflets have prominent venation and wavy margins with pointed teeth. Dense, 1-3" long racemes of 25-50 small, yellow flowers bloom from late winter to spring. The fruits are 0.25" long, dark blue, oblong to ovoid, fleshy berries that are highly attractive to birds. Synonymous with Berberis aquifolium var. dictyota.
Genus name comes from the Latinized form of the Arabian name for the fruit.
The specific epithet dictyota means "netted" or "latticed", in reference to the prominent venation on the leaflets of this species.
The common name Jepson's Oregon-grape honors Willis Linn Jepson (1867-1946), a noted California botanist, professor, and writer who named this species. The common name shining netvein barberry refers to the prominent venation on the leaflets of this species.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems of note. This species is resistant to stem rust. Deer tend to avoid this plant.
Uses
Allow to naturalize on hillsides, in rock gardens, bird gardens, pollinator gardens, and other natural settings. Suitable for xeriscaping and as an informal hedge.