Mahonia 'Charity'

Wonderful !

Yes..Wonderful indeed...:>)

Looking glorious!!

Wow, spectacular! I don't know about the growing conditions of these Kathy, would it do well in shade?? It would just brighten up a dim corner in the garden......

How beautiful, Janey, it is a shade tolerant plant. Isn't it wonderful? There's one in my street like this, but mine hasn't even started to flower yet.

How often do you prune yours Simbad, ours is very good need of one. We've had very little flowers over the past two years or so,gave it a slight prune earlier this year and already can see flowers building up. Garden books say April after the fruits have gone, any useful tips for me. Its about 22 years old was in the garden when we came here. Was going to get rid of it, but the blackbirds nest in there, would miss them flying in and out with full beaks for their babies!

Thankyou everyone so many lovely comments :-)
This is growing in a partly shady spot Janey on the edge of our small wooded area, seems to love it there, we're on really heavy clay too, it flowers for so long it'll be spring before its finished :-)
I have to admit Gralew I've never pruned this I planted it around 8 years ago as a tiny shrub, just can't bring myself to do it, its grown into such a lovely shape all on its own, sure the day will come when it needs a good lopping but at the moment its only just over 6ft tall, its the perfect shrub for nesting birds isn't it nice and spikey :-), April for pruning sounds right.

Spectacular! I'm going to buy one for my garden and seeing yours I will be getting one very soon.
Thanks for showing us yours, I saw one in town for £12.99. but was traveling by bus and was loaded up already, will scout around this weekend for one called 'Charity' like yours. :o)))) I wonder when I could take seeds from one? or take cuttings?
xx Jackie xx

Beautiful and just what we need to brighten the garden on these foggy dull days :o)

This Mahonia is impressive Simbad. I have forest full of the wild ones (oregon grape) which creates an impenetrable thicket but they seem so insignificant compare to yours

Thanks for that Kathy, just perfect for the spot I have in mind....mmm....trip to GC coming on again....:)))

Its not something I've ever tried from seed or cuttings Ladyessex sorry, it does have berries after the flowers so probably possible but they don't appear till middle of next year.
Thanks Amy :-)
Thankyou Klahanie I have a different variety probably similar to your wild one which flowers in spring this is definitely my favourite, still pretty vicious leaves, I planted it a bit too near a path, oops :-))
Hope you find one Janey it is a lovely shrub, looks good when not much else is in flower :-))

Simbad. You'll just have to reroute the path LOL.
I have been and looked on
How to propagate......Mahonia "Charity"

Semi-ripe cuttings can be taken from midsummer to autumn; take leaf-bud cuttings with two or more nodes (the nodes on mahonia plants are quite close together), make a wound on one side of the stem about 1cm long and reduce the leaf to 2 or 3 pairs of leaflets. Put them in cutting compost and apply bottom heat of around 15 to 20°C. Alternatively, take hardwood cuttings in winter. Plants will flower from cuttings in three years.
Seeds can be collected from the berries when they are ripe (from early summer). Clean them thoroughly before sowing them. Mahonias often cross-pollinate, so while the resulting plants make not come true to type, you might get something you like anyway! Cultivars are unlikely to come true from seed.
Hope you find it interesting :o)))) Jackie x

What a beautiful display its given you.

Thanks for that Ladyessex I'll remember this for future reference :-)
Thankyou Sixpence certainly the star of the garden right now :-))

Its nice to have colour still is nt it.

Simbad, I've now bought one, it's a 'Charity' one like yours, I now have a gardener to help me with my garden so he planted it for me, can't wait for it to get bigger :o))
Thought you would find the info on Soft & Hard cutting useful and the seeds too.:o))

WOW!

It's beautiful Kathy. I have to keep mine much smaller than this as it is planted next to the steps, it was already quite mature when the steps went in but I should have moved it.

That is amazing - I really love this Simbad

Thankyou all :-)
Glad you found one Ladyessex, yes very intersting not something I've ever thought to take cuttings from, I'll have to give it a go have the perfect spot for another :-))
Same here Annella this is planted by a path and grown far too big but its such a lovely shape I don't want to ruin it, I'll just divert the path I think,lol.
Glad you like it Paul, bet next time I look at your pictures you have one too :-)

I have a mahonia near the house - a lot small than this , think they're wonderful , years back I thought it was a holly