I meant next to zone 7A Thanks for any info!

if they look like that in fall ... and are black and dead in spring ... then IMHO ... its a winter cold issue...and if winter kill flower buds.. then it isnt surprising you havent seen flowers ....

in my z5... its simply too cold in MI ... for it to be a disease issue over winter...

not quite sure how that works in your z6 ... but i raise the issue so others can address it ...

ken

Winter cold (duration & temperature)! I've grown M. bealei with mixed success in zone 5b for 8 years. The only year the flower buds made it to spring for me was when I covered the whole plant with white shrub wrap. Otherwise, they have always gone black & crispy. The last two winters have been hard on the whole plant...hopefully this year is different.

What do you think about using WiltPruf on the flower spikes? I read the label but it doesn't address this. Thanks to you all!

I think wiltpruf offers too little benefit to get your mahonia flowers through the winter. If you'd had 30-60% flower failure in past years, wiltpruf might have bumped you up to 90-100% survival. At 100% flower failure, you'll need more drastic measures than wiltpruf.

They are in full bloom here now. A real winter boost to the spirits if you can grow them.

if the label doesnt address an issue.... use the phone number on the label.. and call them ...

i like what smivs said ... great logic ...

ken

Those of us in the south would consider it a blessing that the mahonia won't produce seeds, lol. It sure can be invasive!