Mahoberberis aquisargentii
| Mahoberberis aquisargentii | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 7' |
| Width: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Mid Winter-Early Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Mahoberberis aquisargentii
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. It usually germinates in the spring[K]. 'Green' seed (harvested when the embryo has fully developed but before the seed case has dried) should be sown as soon as it is harvested and germinates within 6 weeks[K]. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible in late winter or spring. 3 weeks cold stratification will improve its germination, which should take place in 3 - 6 months at 10°c. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. This species is a bi-generic hybrid and, if seed is produced, it is very unlikely to breed true.
Wounded nodal semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or early autumn[2].
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils in sun or shade[3][2]. Prefers a fertile well-drained soil[4].
Plants only flower and fruit after a long warm growing season[2].
Plants are reputedly immune to rust.[2]
Range: A bi-generic hybrid of garden origin, Mahonia aquifolia x Berberis sargentii.
Habitat: Not known in the wild.
Edibility: The fruit is almost certainly edible, but we do not know what its quality is[K].
Medicinal: Berberine, universally present in rhizomes of Berberis and Mahonia species, has marked antibacterial effects. Since it is not appreciably absorbed by the body, it is used orally in the treatment of various enteric infections, especially bacterial dysentery[5]. It should not be used with Glycyrrhiza species (Liquorice) because this nullifies the effects of the berberine[5]. Berberine has also shown antitumour activity[5].
Usage: The plant has viciously spiny leaves and makes a good boundary shrub[2].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.