Agarita (Mahonia trifoliolata)
Agarita (Mahonia trifoliolata)
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Agarita
Mahonia trifoliolata
Other Common Names: Agarito, Algerita
Top Pick: A distinctive evergreen Texas native with early yellow flowers, edible red berries, exceptional drought tolerance, and outstanding wildlife value.
Quick Plant Info
- ☀️ Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- 💧 Water: Low
- 🌿 Type: Evergreen Shrub
- 📏 Mature Size: Approximately 3–6 ft tall × 3–6 ft wide
Plant Traits
Description
A tough Texas shrub with year-round structure, remarkably early flowers, and bright red edible berries.
Agarita is a distinctive evergreen Texas native with rigid, blue-green to gray-green leaves divided into sharply pointed leaflets. Its dense, architectural foliage provides year-round structure and makes it immediately recognizable in the landscape.
In late winter to early spring, clusters of fragrant yellow flowers appear among the foliage, providing an important early-season resource for bees and other pollinators. These are followed by bright red berries that provide food for birds and other wildlife.
🍒 Edible berries
Agarita's ripe red berries are edible and have a tart flavor. They have traditionally been used for jelly and other preserves, although harvesting them can be challenging because of the plant's sharply pointed foliage.
The berries are also an important wildlife resource and may disappear quickly when birds and other animals discover them.
🐦 Wildlife value
Agarita provides several types of habitat value in a single shrub. Its early flowers support pollinating insects, its berries provide wildlife food, and its dense, sharply pointed evergreen foliage can provide protected cover for small birds and other animals.
🌼 Why it works
- Evergreen Texas native shrub
- Fragrant yellow flowers very early in the growing season
- Provides early nectar and pollen for pollinators
- Produces edible bright red berries
- Berries provide food for birds and other wildlife
- Dense foliage provides protective wildlife cover
- Exceptionally heat and drought tolerant once established
- Distinctive architectural form for designed landscapes
🌱 Where it thrives
Agarita is adapted to dry, rocky Texas landscapes and performs best in well-drained soil. It grows in full sun or part shade and is particularly well suited to limestone-influenced soils.
- Wildlife gardens
- Xeriscapes
- Dry native gardens
- Barrier plantings
- Large borders
- Designed native landscapes
Soil: Prefers well-drained, rocky or limestone-based soils and tolerates alkaline conditions. Avoid locations that remain consistently wet.
✂️ Growth & maintenance
Agarita is naturally dense and relatively slow growing and generally requires little pruning. Allowing it to retain its natural form preserves both its ornamental character and wildlife value.
If pruning is necessary, wear sturdy gloves and protective clothing when working around the sharply pointed foliage.
Important Notes
Agarita has rigid leaves with very sharp points. Give it adequate space and avoid planting immediately beside narrow walkways, entrances, seating areas, or children's play spaces. The same foliage that makes Agarita useful as protected wildlife cover can make it unpleasant to brush against.
💧 Water (establishment note)
Water periodically during establishment, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Once established, Agarita is highly drought tolerant and generally requires little supplemental irrigation.
Pickup Information
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