This very upright, evergreen plant is instantly recognisable by its long shoots of bright lemon-yellow flowers, which look like spires.
“The mahonia is a tough plant,” Sally explains. “It has spikey leaves, not unlike holly, and because the colour of the flower is so vivid, it will brighten up any corner. And to top it all, the flowers have a gorgeous vanilla-like scent.”
However, these plants, which vary in size, aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.
“They are a bit of a Marmite shrub. You either love or hate them. But even if you’re in the second camp, it’s worth remembering that they are brilliant at attracting early emerging bumblebees and honeybees. When they venture out on those milder sunny winter days, the mahonia provides them with a vital source of nectar and pollen.”
And if that isn’t enough, Sally also points out that the flowers turn to purple berries in the autumn, which thrushes and blackbirds love.
One of the cultivars Sally recommends is Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’. “This is an early flowering mahonia, so if you’re looking for an immediate explosion of winter colour, this could tick all the boxes.”
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