Are Mahonia berries edible?
Mahonia Berry, also called Oregon Grape, can be found in people’s landscape but few know the berry is in fact edible. It is not great straight off the bush but it transforms when cooked into amazing purple goodness. The low variety (Mahonia nervosa) can be found out in the woods fairly easily as it tends to be more wild. Oregon grape berries are not grapes nor do they taste anything like grapes. In fact, they are very tart, but edible nonetheless. They ripen from late June through August, depending on your location.The small purple berries of Mahonia spp are quite tart and contain large seeds, but are suitable to make jam, jelly and sauce. Oregon Grape is also ideal for cordial, as the cooked berries taste a bit like Blackcurrant. The flowers are edible and can be used to make a lemonade drink or sorbet.Mahonia plants are toxic. Mahonia berries and seeds can also be toxic, especially unripe berries. They should not be eaten, particularly by pregnant women, as they can cause uterine contractions.While the ripe berries are edible and contain high levels of vitamin C, unripe they are distinctly poisonous, containing the alkaloid berberine and at least three other toxins.Berries are slightly toxic and act as a laxative when ingested by wildlife, which helps the plan spread spread easily. Emits a chemical called “Emodin” into the ground, which is toxic for plants and animals. Takes over forest floor and outcompetes smaller trees for light.
What to do with Mahonia berries?
Oregon Grapes or Mahonia berries are tart and actually improve after frost. Because of their tartness, the best way to use the berries is to make jam, jelly, pie or wine. Any recipes where sugar is added, basically. The berries are very nutritious and particularly rich in vitamin C. Oregon Grape has been used to treat all of the following ailments: poor liver function, digestive problems, eczema, acne, giardia, herpes, and malaria (Wiesenauer and Ludtke 1996). It is most commonly used for its function as an anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic properties.Harvested Oregon grape berries can be used to make food, medicine, and dyes. Eating Oregon Grape: Look for ripe Oregon grape berries in mid to late summer. They are REALLY tart – the kind of tart that makes your face pucker. But, when mixed with sweetener, they are delicious.The nutritional benefits of including grapes in the diet are significant. Both red and green grapes contain miracle polyphenol resveratrol, but red grapes – more specifically the skin – contain more.
What are the benefits of growing Mahonia?
Choosing Mahonia encourages biodiversity and wildlife conservation. This plant attracts a variety of pollinators and provides food and shelter for birds and small mammals. Moreover, Mahonia is ideal for eco-friendly landscaping and gardening initiatives. Mahonia is an easy-to-grow shrub with winter colour and berries for wildlife. Their bright yellow flowers are attractive and welcome in the winter gloom. Some varieties, as shown below, have scented flowers. Mahonia has attractive evergreen foliage similar to holly leaves.In autumn the glossy Mahonia leaves can turn red. Oregon Grapes or Mahonia berries are tart and actually improve after frost. Because of their tartness, the best way to use the berries is to make jam, jelly, pie or wine.Mahonia is a flowering evergreen shrub whose bark and root have been used in traditional herbalism for centuries, and is often referred to as a ‘bitter tonic’, which is group of bitter-tasting herbs thought to aid digestion and liver function and generally support the body’s natural cleansing and detoxifying processes.The ripe and abundant fruit from mahonia is tasty but sharp and needs sweetening. A common member of the Barberry family that can now be found in parks, gardens and some woodland.
What is the English name for Mahonia?
Mahonia is a genus that contains approximately 70 species of plants. These consist mainly of shrubs, but also contains a few species of small trees. It’s often known by its more common English name ‘Oregon Grape’, referring to the dark berries it grows in Autumn. Mahonia nervosa, also known as Oregon grape, is a related, shorter species with similar berries that can be used in the same ways as those of Mahonia aquifolia—in jellies, jams, pies, and wine.Taxonomy: The genus Mahonia has now been included in the genus Berberis, hence the accepted name for Oregon Grape is Berberis aquifolium. However, currently in commercial horticulture these plants are still known as Mahonia.