Great as a gift 🌸
Creeping Mahonia
Mahonia aquifolium · Berberidaceae
How it looks
Creeping Mahonia is an evergreen shrub with large, feather-divided leaves made of spiny, toothed leathery leaflets. Small yellow flowers bloom in clusters at the branch tips, and small round purplish fruits appear in clusters in autumn. It stands 20 in–6.5 ft (50 cm–2 m) tall.
This plant is listed as non-toxic to cats by the ASPCA. An occasional nibble is unlikely to cause any real trouble.
Guide for parents
What your cat can reach is the lower leaves and stems, plus whatever has fallen to the ground. If it is standing outside in the yard, take a look at whether the space underneath is a path your cat uses often.
Fallen leaves keep piling up if left alone, so clear the side where your cat spends time now and then. If you have brought it indoors in a pot, the rim of the pot — or the tips of any trailing stems — becomes that spot instead.
Details
- Scientific name
- Mahonia aquifolium
- Common name
- Creeping Mahonia
- Family
- Berberidaceae
- Source
- ASPCA cats plant list
Related plants
Same plant family· Berberidaceae
Other safe flowers
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