This April, we celebrated our state’s first Native Plant Appreciation Month, which got us thinking about the incredible botanicals in our ecosystem. We often get the question, “What’s your favorite plant?” While it’s hard to narrow down our lists, one particular herbal ally has resounding popularity amongst our staff: Oregon grape. This year, as Oregon grape kept showing up at the top of our favorites list, obviously wanting to be the spotlight of a story, we decided Native Plant Appreciation Month was a good time to oblige.
Oregon grape is in the Berberidaceae family and is an understory shrub found in the Pacific Northwest. Mountain Rose Herbs largely works with Berberis nervosa, which is also called dwarf Oregon grape, Cascade barberry, or Cascade Oregon grape. This specific variety is a lower-growing species and is one known to be a bit hardier and resilient, making it more sustainable.
Note: You may hear the genus name of this plant be called Mahonia rather than Berberis. They both refer to the same plant, though Berberis is what is currently used in the herbal wellness industry.
One of my favorite aspects of this plant is the incredible array of colors it presents throughout the year. Its evergreen holly-like leaves are a beautiful hue of green in the forest (though they can sometimes have reddish leaves due to certain growing conditions). Oregon grape also has beautiful bright yellow flowers that show off in the spring. The flowers are followed by deep blue-purple berries that ripen in the summer months. It is the grape-like berries that give this plant its common name. Meanwhile, beneath the soil, the plant bears a beautiful yellow-gold hued root.
From root to tip, Oregon grape is a colorful expression of nature throughout the whole year. Some even plant it as a perennial landscaping herb, though they often use other varietals such as Berberis aquifolium for this application.
Oregon Grape Uses and Benefits
Oregon grape has been used for millennia by Indigenous peoples for wellness, dyes, and less so as food. While its berries are edible, they are very tart and mostly unappetizing. The part most commonly used is the root which contains a powerful compound called berberine. This is where the Oregon grape gets its Latin binomial name. Many call upon its roots for their digestive, immune, and skin-supporting qualities.* In fact, you will find Oregon grape in several of Mountain Rose Herbs’ expertly formulated extract blends, including our Travel Care Extract, Liver Care Extract, and Skin Care Extract.
While this plant offers myriad benefits for humans, it does not exist just for us. Oregon grape shelters and feeds wildlife such as grouse, pheasants, foxes, raccoons, painted lady butterflies, mason bees, and more. I believe it’s very important to think outside of ourselves as we consider the benefits of plants.
The Future of Oregon Grape
Despite Oregon grape being quite a common and hardy plant, Berberis nervosa has been experiencing a population decline, primarily due to overharvesting. There is an increased demand for Oregon grape as many have begun using it as an alternative to the goldenseal, an at-risk plant with many similar benefits. In fact, a few years ago, poachers ripped out a massive stand of Oregon grape planted as part of a rehabilitation project in one of our beloved local parks. These unethically harvested botanicals are generally sold to less reputable businesses or consolidators whose only goal is to turn a profit with little concern for the future of the wild plants.
Mountain Rose Herbs, as you likely already know, takes a very different approach. We carry only certified organic, wildharvested Oregon grape root from an approved wildcrafter we have worked closely with for many years. We have seen his stands and witnessed his sustainable harvesting practices in action and are proud to stand behind both our quality and ethical procurements of this special plant.
Oregon grape is in need of our care and stewardship. Native botanicals in general are in constant competition with invasive species, poachers and unsustainable wild harvesters, development, and many other environmental factors. We can do our part to help Oregon grape by choosing to source only sustainably and ethically sourced material, being aware and respectful of it in the wild, learning how to sustainably harvest if there are plans to forage for it, and teaching others its importance and how to protect it.
It takes all of us to ensure a sustainable future for plants like Oregon grape. Formal declarations like Oregon’s Native Plant Appreciation Month can help bring about change and make people aware of the incredible plants that balance our local ecosystem and ensure that they are here for us for generations to come.
You may also enjoy:
Marshmallow Root & Leaf: Where Fluffy Food Meets Soothing Remedy
The Uses and Benefits of Lemon Balm
Wild Lettuce: History & Benefits
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications. For educational purposes only.
Topics: Herbalism, Specialty Ingredients
Jessicka Nebesni is the Senior Marketing Strategist and Herbal Liason for Mountain Rose Herbs. She is always working towards sharing the most educational, empowering, and useful resources with the Mountain Rose Herbs community. Having practiced Macrobiotic food preparations in California, beekeeping in Oregon, and making herbal crafts for local farmers markets in New Jersey, she has a wide variety of experiences and knowledge to share. Her passions include preserving food, gardening, practicing herbal wellness, making DIY skin and body care recipes, and living a lifestyle of minimal impact on the Earth.
.jpg?width=1080&name=2023%20(1).jpg "Mountain Rose Herbs 2023 Impact Report")
This April, we celebrated our state’s first Native Plant Appreciation Month, which got us thinking about the incredible botanicals in our ecosystem. We often get the question, “What’s your favorite plant?” While it’s hard to narrow down our lists, one particular herbal ally has resounding popularity amongst our staff: Oregon grape. This year, as Oregon grape kept showing up at the top of our favorites list, obviously wanting to be the spotlight of a story, we decided Native Plant Appreciation Month was a good time to oblige.
Oregon grape is in the Berberidaceae family and is an understory shrub found in the Pacific Northwest. Mountain Rose Herbs largely works with Berberis nervosa, which is also called dwarf Oregon grape, Cascade barberry, or Cascade Oregon grape. This specific variety is a lower-growing species and is one known to be a bit hardier and resilient, making it more sustainable.
Note: You may hear the genus name of this plant be called Mahonia rather than Berberis. They both refer to the same plant, though Berberis is what is currently used in the herbal wellness industry.
One of my favorite aspects of this plant is the incredible array of colors it presents throughout the year. Its evergreen holly-like leaves are a beautiful hue of green in the forest (though they can sometimes have reddish leaves due to certain growing conditions). Oregon grape also has beautiful bright yellow flowers that show off in the spring. The flowers are followed by deep blue-purple berries that ripen in the summer months. It is the grape-like berries that give this plant its common name. Meanwhile, beneath the soil, the plant bears a beautiful yellow-gold hued root.
From root to tip, Oregon grape is a colorful expression of nature throughout the whole year. Some even plant it as a perennial landscaping herb, though they often use other varietals such as Berberis aquifolium for this application.
Oregon Grape Uses and Benefits
Oregon grape has been used for millennia by Indigenous peoples for wellness, dyes, and less so as food. While its berries are edible, they are very tart and mostly unappetizing. The part most commonly used is the root which contains a powerful compound called berberine. This is where the Oregon grape gets its Latin binomial name. Many call upon its roots for their digestive, immune, and skin-supporting qualities.* In fact, you will find Oregon grape in several of Mountain Rose Herbs’ expertly formulated extract blends, including our Travel Care Extract, Liver Care Extract, and Skin Care Extract.
While this plant offers myriad benefits for humans, it does not exist just for us. Oregon grape shelters and feeds wildlife such as grouse, pheasants, foxes, raccoons, painted lady butterflies, mason bees, and more. I believe it’s very important to think outside of ourselves as we consider the benefits of plants.
The Future of Oregon Grape
Despite Oregon grape being quite a common and hardy plant, Berberis nervosa has been experiencing a population decline, primarily due to overharvesting. There is an increased demand for Oregon grape as many have begun using it as an alternative to the goldenseal, an at-risk plant with many similar benefits. In fact, a few years ago, poachers ripped out a massive stand of Oregon grape planted as part of a rehabilitation project in one of our beloved local parks. These unethically harvested botanicals are generally sold to less reputable businesses or consolidators whose only goal is to turn a profit with little concern for the future of the wild plants.
Mountain Rose Herbs, as you likely already know, takes a very different approach. We carry only certified organic, wildharvested Oregon grape root from an approved wildcrafter we have worked closely with for many years. We have seen his stands and witnessed his sustainable harvesting practices in action and are proud to stand behind both our quality and ethical procurements of this special plant.
Oregon grape is in need of our care and stewardship. Native botanicals in general are in constant competition with invasive species, poachers and unsustainable wild harvesters, development, and many other environmental factors. We can do our part to help Oregon grape by choosing to source only sustainably and ethically sourced material, being aware and respectful of it in the wild, learning how to sustainably harvest if there are plans to forage for it, and teaching others its importance and how to protect it.
It takes all of us to ensure a sustainable future for plants like Oregon grape. Formal declarations like Oregon’s Native Plant Appreciation Month can help bring about change and make people aware of the incredible plants that balance our local ecosystem and ensure that they are here for us for generations to come.
You may also enjoy:
Marshmallow Root & Leaf: Where Fluffy Food Meets Soothing Remedy
The Uses and Benefits of Lemon Balm
Wild Lettuce: History & Benefits
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications. For educational purposes only.
Topics: Herbalism, Specialty Ingredients
Jessicka Nebesni is the Senior Marketing Strategist and Herbal Liason for Mountain Rose Herbs. She is always working towards sharing the most educational, empowering, and useful resources with the Mountain Rose Herbs community. Having practiced Macrobiotic food preparations in California, beekeeping in Oregon, and making herbal crafts for local farmers markets in New Jersey, she has a wide variety of experiences and knowledge to share. Her passions include preserving food, gardening, practicing herbal wellness, making DIY skin and body care recipes, and living a lifestyle of minimal impact on the Earth.
