Number three in a series of CA native plants that I have in my garden. My house is in the Crescenta Valley which is northwest of Pasadena and has the typical climate of the inland valleys surrounding LA, although we are about 1000 feet higher elevation than Pasadena, Burbank or Glendale which surround us so our winters can be a little colder at night than those areas. Our entire valley is made of alluvial runoff from the surrounding mountains, the soil is sandy, rocky and very fast draining.

Berberis 'Golden Abundance' or Mahonia 'Golden Abundance'

This is at the top of a slope with no supplemental water, it gets full morning and later afternoon sun but some shade mid day from a coast live oak behind it. Planted from a 1 gallon container 12 years ago it is now about 7' high and 10' wide. Our 122F day last July did some damage and it is just now starting to fill out with new foliage. Leaves are pliable but have small barbs. This is an attractive plant that can be front and center in a garden large enough to contain it or used as a barrier plant. Yellow flowers in spring are followed by berries in the fall. Reference books say it can spread by rhizomes but so far there is just the multitrunked main plant. I liked this so much I bought another one.