Mahonia x Media Charity - Oregon Grape - Plant in 2 L Pot..

Mahonias are a genus of around 80 different shrub originating from the Himalayas, east and southern Asia and north and west central America. M x media arose from a cross between M japonica and M lomarifolia and is one of the finest of Mahonias. MAHONIA x media Charity is one of the best in this class of Mahonia. A larger plant than Winter Sun it has large, glossy, upright/stately, evergreen pinnate foliage and abundant fragrant bright yellow flowers borne in terminal racemes in late autumn and winter that are followed by shiny deep purple berries. Selected by Sir Eric Saville at the Saville Garden Windsor from seedlings raised on a nursery in Northern Ireland around 1950. Grown for both its architectural effect and its flowers it also makes an excellent security hedge as the end of each pinnate on every leaf boasts a sharp stiff spine and when mature the plant is big and tough enough to resist efforts to push it aside! Prune in early spring. You will need a stout pair of secateurs or loppers and good thick gloves, unless you are one of those who closely associates pain with a job well done! Mahonias perform well on chalky soils and from full sun to full shade. Its only real preference is for a well drained location. Can be grown as a border plant, under plant or in pots and containers. Use a good quality compost. Ensure you feed regularly as a hungry plant is a poor performer. We recommend Osmoscote pro 12-14 month applied in the spring. One application gives all the nutrients the plant requires for the whole year.