Berberis aquifolium, the Oregon grape[2] or holly-leaved barberry, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae. It is an evergreen shrub growing up to 3 metres (10 ft) tall and 1.5 m (5 ft) wide. It has pinnate leaves consisting of spiny leaflets, exhibiting dense clusters of yellow flowers in early spring, followed by dark bluish-black berries.
The berries are a part of the traditional diet of some indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest and the species serves as the state flower of Oregon.
Uses
The small purplish-black fruits, which are quite tart and contain large seeds, are edible raw[20] after the season's first frosts.[21] They were included in small quantities in the traditional diets of Pacific Northwest tribes, mixed with salal or another sweeter fruit. Today, they are sometimes used to make jelly, alone or mixed with salal.[4][22] Oregon-grape juice can be fermented to make wine, similar to European barberry wine folk traditions, although it requires an unusually high amount of sugar.[23]
The inner bark of the larger stems and roots of Oregon grape yield a yellow dye.[4] The berries contain a dye that can be purple,[24] blue, pink, or green depending on the pH of water used to make the dye, due to the berries containing a naturally occurring pH indicator.[original research?]
Medicinal uses
Some indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau use Oregon grape for indigestion.[25]
The plant contains berberine and reportedly has antimicrobial properties similar to those of goldenseal.[26]