Oregon Grape vs Bracted Honeysuckle - TreeTime.ca

Oregon Grape vs Bracted Honeysuckle

Lonicera involucrata

Mahonia aquifolium (Berberis aquifolium)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Bracted Honeysuckle
Oregon Grape

Bracted Honeysuckle is a shade loving shrub that is distinguishable from other honeysuckles by its square stem and pointed leaves. Native to most of North America, this honeysuckle is found along swamps, rivers, riparian zones and moist wooded areas.

If you have a erosion control project in mind, consider Bracted Honeysuckle.

Oregon Grape is an evergreen shrub native to North America, found along the Pacific coast. In spring, the bright golden-yellow flowers appear in clusters above the leaves. These flowers eventually give way to edible blue berries in late summer. While not a true grape, the berries appear grape-like due to their colouring and clustered growth. They can be eaten fresh, but the sour taste and high amounts of natural pectin make them well suited for preserves.

The Oregon Grape has leaves that are glossy, leathery, and spiny-edged. This feature gives it its alternate name of Holly-leaved Barberry. When the leaves emerge in the spring they are a bronze-red colour. In the summer they transition to green, followed by bright red to deep burgundy in the fall. Leaves are retained throughout the winter and colder temperatures cause the leaves to turn purplish bronze, providing year round interest to the landscape.

Bracted Honeysuckle Quick Facts

Oregon Grape Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 5a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: any
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: long
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: bright red to deep burgundy
Flowers: yellow
Berries: shiny, purple-black berries produced in pairs
Berries: blue to purple, large
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NU
Native to: BC
Other Names: bearberry honeysuckle, black twinberry, twinberry