Mahonia wilcoxii
Mahonia wilcoxii
Safety & Hazards
All parts of the plant contain the alkaloid berberine - this is most concentrated in the roots, stems and inner bark, and least concentrated in the fruits. In small quantities berberine has a range of effective medicinal applications but, in excess, can cause vomiting, lowered blood pressure, reduced heart rate, lethargy, and other ill-effects. The fruit of most, if not all, members of this genus are more or less edible and can be eaten in quantity since the levels of berberine in the fruit are very low.
Botanical Description
Mahonia wilcoxii is an evergreen shrub growing 30 - 200cm tall. Suckering at the base, the plant forms a clump of usually unbranched stems that sometimes have short axillary shoots. The plant is closely related to the Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) and can be used interchangeably with that species as a food and a medicine[ 1152 Title Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West Publication Author Moore M. Publisher Museum of New Mexico Press; Santa Fe Year 2003 ISBN 0-89013-454-5 Description Detailed information on the medicinal uses of around 150 species of plants from the Rocky Mountains of N. America. An excellent, detailed publication, written in a style that connects the writer to his readers. ].