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| Agarita, Agarito, Algerita, Agritos, Currant-of-Texas, Wild Currant, Chaparral Berry Mahonia trifoliolata (Berberis trifoliolata, Mahonia trifoliata) Berberidaceae Agarita is a rounded shrub with beautiful gray-green, holly-like foliage and clusters of fragrant yellow flowers from February through April. The fruit that follows is a bright red berry that is a magnet for birds and small mammals and which makes a delicious jelly. Agarita is distinguished from Texas mahonia (B. swaseyi) and red barberry (B. haematocarpa) by its three leaflets joined at a central point. The leaflets have sharp points at the ends, which makes agarita useful for wildlife cover and as a barrier plant. It grows on rocky limestone flats and slopes in the western half of Texas west to Arizona and south to Northern Mexico. Agarita is low maintenance, drought tolerant, evergreen, and hardy to 15 degrees F. It is adaptable to other soils as long as they are well-drained. It forms its best shape in full sun, but will grow in light shade. Plant Habit or Use: medium shrub
Exposure: sun Flower Color: yellow Blooming Period: spring Fruit Characteristics: red berry Height: to 6 feet Width: to 6 feet Plant Character: evergreen Heat Tolerance: very high Water Requirements:
Soil Requirements: alkaline Additional Comments:
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