Cascade Oregon grape is an attractive shrub, suitable for many northwest gardens. It is a shrub, somewhat fern-like with numerous compound pinnate leaves in a tuft, surrounding the erect stems which contain the flowers and fruit. The stems range from 10-30 cm tall, and the leaves may be as long as 40 cm. The 9-19 leaflets are holly-like, somewhat glossy, and of an ovate-lanceolate shape. They are each from 3-6 cm long and spiny edged, with 12-14 spiny prickles commonly found on each side of the leaflet.
The racemes are at the apex of the central stems, and may be as much as 20 cm long. The outer sepals or bracts are somewhat greenish, from 2-3 mm long, and the inner sepals 6-8 mm long and bright yellow. The bilobed petals are oblong in shape and slightly shorter than the inner sepals. The berries are blue with a whitish bloom and ovoid in shape.
Cascade Oregon grape is found in coniferous forests and in clearcuts.
Cascade Oregon grape is found west of the Cascades from southern British Columbia to central California. It is also found in the Wallowa Mts. and northern Blue Mts of northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington.
