Holly Leaved Barberry (Mahonia aquifolium)

Good day dear Hiveans, first of all I would like to welcome you to my post with kind words and hope you are all well and have a nice day! Here I would like to present a new plant that I photographed a few days ago during a walk in the fresh air.

The common name is Holly Leaved Barberry and scientifically Mahonia aquifolium, the natural origin is North America and meanwhile it is widespread in more countries and is often used as an ornamental plant in parks or gardens. A characteristic that makes it especially interesting as an ornamental plant is that it is very easy to care for and has no huge demands, Holly Leaved Barberry can also easily survive without water for longer periods.

A property of the leaves are the spines, which serves as a protective mechanism for the plant and I find the leaves have a strong and lively appearance. By the way, the name of the genus is dedicated to the gardener and botanist Bernard MacMahon (1775 to 1816).

From about August, the plant forms berries which have a beautiful blue color. By the way, it can grow between 100 - 150 cm high and it is very resistant and easily tolerates cool temperatures up to -30 degrees Celsius. It is also interesting to say that due to the intense color of the berries, they can be used for dyeing wool and many other things.

Even with Holly Leaved Barberry I was able to find a new medicinal plant, what I found very interesting. Among the most important properties are the anti-inflammatory effect, which makes it very interesting for a wide range of diseases! It can also work very well against skin diseases or digestive disorders, in homeopathy it is often used and it is also really interesting for the extraction of certain active ingredients. It is important to know that, as with many other medicinal plants, Mahonia aquifolium can also be slightly poisonous! It is therefore always important to ask your trusted doctor about the correct use and side effects!

Many thanks for stopping by and I hope you like and appreciate my post! I used my camera Sony Alpha 6000 and Sony SEL-55210 Telephoto Zoom Lens (55-210mm) to take these pictures.