Flower profile

Creeping mahonia

Berberis repens

Native in the lower 48

Creeping mahonia is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

19states

7of our state lists

19,695U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Quick look

Berberis repens commonly known as creeping mahonia, creeping grape holly, or creeping barberry, is a species of Berberis native to most of the western United States and two western provinces of Canada. It is low growing shrub that spreads by underground stems. As a species it is well adapted to fire and is a very common understory plant in western forests.
From Wikipedia's article Berberis repens, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Berberidaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 19 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. ^iNaturalist
In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 7,190 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #7 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,362 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #3 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,104 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #5 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. ^iNaturalist

Creeping mahonia gift ideas

Handmade creeping mahonia gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Creeping mahonia art print
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Creeping mahonia mug
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Creeping mahonia earrings
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Creeping mahonia embroidery pattern
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Creeping mahonia sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,143 records)

Bloom time in each of our 7 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	March–June	7,190
Utah	Native	March–June	3,362
Montana	Native	April–June	2,104
Wyoming	Native	May–June	2,018
Idaho	Native	March–June	1,642
New Mexico	Native	March–June	1,165
South Dakota	Native	few records	158

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Colorado.
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
New Mexico: Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. ^{19.21.2.9 NMAC}
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ND (S2), TX (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: bark, leaves, roots, sap/juice. Symptoms they list: “Ingestion may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting or diarrhea.” They also note: “Edible fruits though they are sour.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records creeping mahonia in 19 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Archuleta, Boulder, Conejos, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Morgan, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Granite, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli, Rosebud, Sanders, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Teton.

More Colorado flowers

Oregon grape

Berberis aquifolium

★ OR state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms: March–May

Fremont barberry

Berberis fremontii

Native

🌼 Blooms: March–June

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MARE11.
iNaturalist, Berberis repens: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Berberis repens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Berberis repens (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: tlaloc27 via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.