This will improve air circulation throughout the shrub and reduce the opportunity for disease and insect damage. Mahonia aquifolium typically grows quite a bit larger than that, often reaching six feet tall and about four or five feet wide. It is in leaf all year, in flower from January to May, and the seeds ripen from August to September. Mahonia x media â with typical bright yellow, fragrant flowers from late autumn to late winter.It looks particularly good at the back of borders; Mahonia aquifolium âApolloâ â a compact cultivar, that grows in a neat spreading dome.The glossy, dark green leaves, flush purple in winter with the characteristic yellow flowers appearing in early spring, followed by blue-black berries The plant is self-fertile. Mahonia aquifolium 'Apollo' Mahonia fortunei is an upright shrub growing to 4 or 5ft with 8in long leaves which have up to 13 leaflets. Mahonia can be planted in North and Central Florida gardens in areas with full or partial shade. Assuming that the species you have is Mahonia aquifolium, and that the 3.5' x 9' size refers to a colony of multiple stems, I'd say you should prune the center down to 6" or so only in the area you need in order to plant the new plum. They are a evergreen shrub and from around late autumn through to winter they then produce long stalked bright yellow flowers which shoot out from the ends of leaves The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. In spring the branches bear long, hanging clusters of lightly fragrant, yellow flowers which give way to dark blue berries in summer. Other common names Oregon grape 'Apollo' . 1. Genus Mahonia are evergreen shrubs with leathery, pinnate leaves which are often spine-toothed, and clustered racemes of sometimes fragrant yellow flowers, sometimes followed by black or purple berries Mahonia care and adice - Mahonia are typiacly grown for there attractive dark green foliage which are made up of long leaves consististing of around 5-20 leaflets depending in the age of the growth. When a smaller plant is desired, it is probably better (or easier) to plant one of the dwarf forms so the plant can mature in the space available. It is an evergreen shrub growing 1 m (3 ft) to 3 m (10 ft) tall by 1.5 m (5 ft) wide, with pinnate leaves consisting of spiny leaflets, and dense clusters of yellow flowers in early spring, followed by dark bluish-black berries. Planting and Care. Family Berberidaceae . The upright flower racemes are 3in long and appear in early to mid autumn followed by dark blue berries. Water leatherleaf mahonia shrubs deeply the morning before pruning them so the stems and foliage are well hydrated. It is hardy to zone (UK) 5. It grows best in zone 8 and farther north, so it's only an option for those in the Florida panhandle. Then, observe how the Mahonia reacts to this reduction while the plum is getting established. Pruning back the foliage in the spring, as youâve been doing, is the perfect thing to do. The shrubâs appearance changes with the seasons. Mahonia aquifolium is an evergreen Shrub growing to 2 m (6ft) by 1.5 m (5ft) at a fast rate. A mahonia rarely seen here is Mahonia aquifolium, commonly called Oregon grapeholly, as it's native to that state. Mahonia aquifolium, the Oregon grape, is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to western North America. Oregon grape holly (Mahonia aquifolium) is a handsome, 3- to 6-foot ornamental shrub that can play a number of roles in the garden. 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