Mahonia (repens)

Mark E. Majerus USDA NRCS - Bridger Plant Materials Center 99 South River Road, Rte. 2, Box 1189 Bridger, Montana 59014-9718 (406) 662-3579 (406) 662-3428 (fax) mmajerus@mt.nrcs.usda.gov http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/mtpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Berberidaceae
Family Common Name:	Barberrry Family
Scientific Name:	Mahonia repens (Lindl.) G. Don
Common Name:	Creeping Oregon grape
Species Code:	MAHREP
Ecotype:	Ecotype from the Old Faithful Overlook area of Yellowstone National Park.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	vegetative
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	1 or 2 gallon containers
Time To Grow:	1 Years
Propagule Collection:	Stem cuttings collected in mid-summer in Yellowstone National Park because access to dormant cuttings limited in the winter months.
Propagule Processing:	Place cuttings in a ziplock bag moistened lightly with water and store in a cooler or refrigerator at 34 to 37øF. Trim cuttings to a uniform size prior to treatment.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Recut base of cutting at an angle with a sharp knife and then wound base of cutting with a shallow 1-inch tangential slice by holding knife perpendicular to stem. Treat trimmed cuttings with a broad spectrum fungicide, then allow to surface dry. Treat with 1,000 to 3,000 ppm IBA.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Use a well drained media that includes sand, vermiculite, and/or perlite. Small amounts of peat moss (<20% v/v) can be added for moisture holding and nutrient exchange. Treat entire propagation bench with a broad spectrum fungicide prior to sticking the cuttings if the media was not pasteurized.
Establishment Phase:	Cuttings are usually well rooted in 12 to 16 weeks and can be transplanted to a well drained peat-lite mix with little transplanting shock. Under cultivated conditions, this species will grow quickly so we transplant directly to 1- or 2-gal pots. Allow at least 30 days of greenhouse conditions after rooting before moving to an outdoor environment. We do not outplant rooted cuttings unless they have overwintered in a coldframe for at least one season.
Hardening Phase:	Move containerized material (at least 2 months old) started in the greenhouse that winter to an outdoor hoophouse in late spring/early summer (i.e. "finish" the plants in the hoophouse). The hoophouse is ventilated but not cooled, and the containers are usually exposed to full sunlight for 2 to 4 weeks early in the season. The hoophouse is then covered with a 50% shade cloth until temperatures cool in the fall. Another option is to finish container plants and rooted cuttings in the greenhouse and then move them to the shadehouse in late summer, allowing 30 to 60 days of hardening prior to winter. The shade is usually removed in late summer/early fall and replaced with clear plastic. The plants harden-off gradually in the hoophouse prior to winter. Bridger is characterized by a high number of solar days that keeps the environment inside the hoophouse relatively mild until winter. In the case of premature and severely cold weather, a small propane heater is used at keep temperatures above freezing.
Length of Hardening Phase:	As a standard practice, we allow containerized material a minimum of 30 days of hardening off prior to killing frost, 60 days is preferred. We allow rooted cuttings to harden off for a full 60 days prior to killing frost.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	We have only hand delivered our rooted cuttings in the past, but it is assumed that they can be shipped as dormant stock the same as bareroot plants.

Citation:

Scianna, Joe. 2003. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Mahonia repens (Lindl.) G. Don plants 1 or 2 gallon containers; USDA NRCS - Bridger Plant Materials Center Bridger, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.