I have three of these bushes in the yard of the home we recently moved into. My first thought was to get rid of them because they aren’t that pretty with their prickly leaves. BUT….I have lived with them for three seasons and they are becoming one of my favorite plants!! They have beautiful flowers in the winter that are bright yellow and smell heavenly like fresh cut lemons. The bees love them. After the flowers, you get the purple-blue berries that the birds eat. The leaves seem to stay green year round with a few that have turned red and yellow. I wish I had more of these in my yard!!

Thanks. I would like to have more native plants in my yard. Should I get rid of it along with the ivy?

It has a commmon name of Oregon grape (from the Pacific Northwest) and is an aggressive invader. Planted by many as an ornamental, birds spread the seeds widely, and the plants tend to take over a forest understory.

mahonia