Native Americans - Garden Plants – Mahonia

Name - Named after Bernard McMahon, an American horticulturist from Philadelphia, author of The American Gardener's Calendar. Other common names include Oregon Grape, Mountain Holly, Sangre de Cristo, Creeping Mahonia

Description – A tall, erect, evergreen shrub reaching three to ten feet. Holly like leaves, alongside in late winter or early summer, small bright yellow flowers borne in long, upright racemes. The fruits appear in early spring and commonly grow in clusters with numerous, erect, unbranched stems, the fruits resemble sloes being blue or black with a bloom that is pale blue or white and give rise to the common name of some mahonia species of Oregon grape as they can be eaten raw or cooked. Most of us would say the raw fruit has an overly sharp flavour but it can be good added to muesli – be aware that there is relatively little flesh and a lot of seeds.

Origins – Most Mahonias will cope with full sun but prefer to be in shade or a semi-shaded area. They do best in a moist but relatively fertile, rich soil - including chalk soils. The plant is frost hardy, and the scented flowers are frost resistant. It can get leggy but can be pruned, over a three year period - taking out about a third of growth each year.

Oregon Grape Jelly
3lbs Oregon grapes, stemmed
1 pint water
1lb cups sugar
1 (85 ml) package liquid pectin

In large saucepan, crush the grapes and boil in the water. Then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until fruit is very soft. Now transfer to jelly bag or colander lined with a double thickness of fine cheesecloth and let drip overnight. Measure juice (you should have about 750 ml) into a large heavy saucepan and stir in the sugar. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the pectin and return to a full boil and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off scum and foam with a metal spoon. Pour into sterilised jars, leaving 1/8 inch headspace.

America Mahonia photograph by D H Wright, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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