Description:

Interesting dark green foliage resembles holly leaves, and are held on long branches giving this upright and stout shrub great texture ; treasured for its bold clusters of bright yellow flowers in late fall to early winter

Ornamental Features

Cantab Mahonia features bold racemes of fragrant yellow flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late fall. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage. The spiny oval pinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding red in the fall, which persists throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Cantab Mahonia is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering

Cantab Mahonia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Cantab Mahonia will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.