Oregon

The Story Behind the Oregon Grape

Imagine making it through a long, gray Pacific Northwest winter. It's been wet. It's been dreary. And then, sometime in early spring, bright yellow flowers begin appearing beneath glossy green leaves. That's the Oregon grape. Except there's something you should probably know. It's not a grape. And despite Meriwether Lewis once calling it "mountain holly," it isn't holly either. It's actually a member of the barberry family, with holly-like evergreen leaves and clusters of small blue-purple berries that look a little like grapes. But its unusual name is only the beginning of the story.

This short video shares how the Oregon grape became Oregon's state flower and why its adaptability, beauty, and usefulness made it such a fitting choice to represent the state.

Oregon Grape

Mahonia aquifolium

The Oregon grape is an evergreen shrub native to the Pacific Northwest. It grows from the coast into the mountains, thriving in a wide range of conditions.

A few things that make it special:

Produces bright yellow flowers from early to late spring
Keeps its glossy green leaves throughout the year
Grows clusters of blue-purple berries that resemble tiny grapes
Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest have long used the plant for food, dyes, and traditional medicine

The berries are edible, although they're quite tart when eaten fresh. They can be cooked and sweetened to make jams and jellies.

Perhaps one of its most beautiful traditional uses, though, has nothing to do with eating it.

The inner bark and roots contain a brilliant yellow pigment and have been used to create dyes for baskets and other materials.

This is one useful little plant.

Why It Became the State Flower

Oregon began considering an official state flower in the early 1890s.

In 1892, the Oregon Horticultural Society held a vote to determine which flower should represent the state.

The Oregon grape faced competition from several other plants, including bearded gaillardia, Washington lily, wake robin, and madrone.

But the Oregon grape came out on top.

People liked that it grew naturally throughout the state, from the damp coastal regions to the inland mountains. Its evergreen foliage provided color throughout Oregon's gray winters, while its bright yellow spring flowers were a welcome sign that warmer days were coming.

But perhaps most importantly, it was useful and adaptable.

Those qualities resonated with Oregonians, who felt the plant reflected something about the people who called the state home too.

In 1899, the Oregon grape officially became Oregon's state flower, making Oregon one of the earliest states in the country to adopt a floral emblem.

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