Mahonia 'Charity'
Mahonia x media 'Charity' · Berberidaceae
Whorls of long, spiny, holly-like leaves on stout stems, each crowned in early winter with a spray of scented yellow flower spikes.
- Size
- 10 ft tall, 6½ ft wide
- Zones
- 7 to 9
- Light
- Part sun to shade
- Flowers
- Early November to late December
- Pets
- Toxic to people
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around mahonia 'Charity'
The planner designed this bed around mahonia 'Charity' when this page was made: a 22 × 10 ft (6.7 × 3.0 m) English border in zone 7, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 535 that suit those conditions, and says below why mahonia 'Charity' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Mahonia 'Charity' × 1, yellow
- 2 Green-and-gold × 13, yellow
- 3 Woodland phlox × 11, blue
- 4 Summersweet 'Ruby Spice' × 1, pink
- 5 Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert' × 8, white
- 6 Palm sedge × 3, green leaves
- 7 Large-flowered bellwort × 3, yellow
- 8 Golden ragwort × 19, yellow
- 9 Virginia bluebells × 11, blue
- 10 Foamflower × 8, white
- 11 Dwarf crested iris × 53, lavender
- 12 White trillium × 16, white
- 13 Double snowdrop × 15, white
- 14 Snowdrop × 12, white
- 15 Yellow trout lily × 8, yellow
Why this plant
- The only bold leaves here. The rest are medium and fine. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So do summersweet 'Ruby Spice' and palm sedge.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 10 ft it is the tallest plant here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to golden ragwort (20 in): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for 9 weeks. From early November to late December.
- Closes the season. In all that time nothing else on the plan is in flower.
- The only leaves in winter. From November to March it is what there is to look at.
Planned as an English border: 24 of the 29 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Summersweet 'Ruby Spice' and mahonia 'Charity' anchor the back corners of the bed: the tallest plants on the plan stand there. Dwarf crested iris repeats along the bed to tie it together.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 4 Good, 2 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where mahonia 'Charity' goes in a border
At 10 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is super tall (over 6½ ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
One of the most architectural evergreens for shade, with flowers from November to January that feed winter bees and hummingbirds. Blue-black berries follow.
- Winter flowers and scent
- Bold evergreen structure in shade
- Winter nectar
What to plant with mahonia 'Charity'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Lenten rose: flowers first, late March to early May, so the spot is never empty; a low mound at the foot of its spires; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
- Japanese forest grass: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; fine leaves against its bold ones; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
- Autumn fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; medium leaves against its bold ones; low enough (22 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about mahonia 'Charity'
Does mahonia 'Charity' need sun or shade?
Mahonia 'Charity' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does mahonia 'Charity' grow in?
USDA zones 7 to 9. It is hardy to zone 7, which means it survives winter nights down to about 10 °F (−12 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does mahonia 'Charity' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early November to late December. As an autumn flower it keeps much the same dates in every zone: it answers to shortening days and cool nights more than to the warmth of spring.
| Zone 7 | Early November to late December |
|---|---|
| Zone 8 | Early November to late December |
| Zone 9 | Early November to late December |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should mahonia 'Charity' be planted?
6 ft (180 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6½ ft (200 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 10 ft (300 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many mahonia 'Charity' plants do I need?
Usually one. At 6 ft (180 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 6 ft apart: two plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is mahonia 'Charity' poisonous?
Yes: mild toxicity to people. May cause mild stomach upset if eaten.
Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a native plant like mahonia 'Charity'?
Mahonia 'Charity' comes from Australia, Asia, Europe. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Flame azalea: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 20 in shorter, 8 in wider.
- Mountain laurel: the same job in a bed; 20 in shorter, 8 in wider.
- Florida anise: the same job in a bed; 20 in shorter, 12 in narrower.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat mahonia 'Charity'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does mahonia 'Charity' look like in winter?
Mahonia 'Charity' keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone. It is grown for winter flowers and scent and winter nectar as well.
Is mahonia 'Charity' good for bees and butterflies?
Mahonia 'Charity' is visited by songbirds.
More Mahonia
- Creeping mahonia Mahonia repens
- Mahonia 'Soft Caress' Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'
- Oregon grape Mahonia aquifolium
In these guides
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Evergreen shrubs for structure
- Plants with spires: vertical accents
- Plants that flower in fall
Zone guides: Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
In flower in: November
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 10 ft (300 cm) tall, 6½ ft (200 cm) wide
- Plant
- 6 ft (180 cm) apart
- Height class
- Super tall (over 6½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Early November to late December; upright spires; yellow
- Leaves
- Bold texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 7 to 9
- Light
- Part sun, part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Berberidaceae
- Comes from
- Australia, Asia, Europe
- Attracts
- Songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.