Oregon grape

Berberis aquifolium

Barberry, B. vulgaris, was highly regarded as a useful and even necessary herb in Europe from Elizabethan times and through the eighteenth century. The English settlers brought oregon grape with them to America, where they extended the name and reputation of barberry to natives of the west and Northwest. These handsome holly like plants were originally thought to be species of Berberis but were later determined to belong in their own genus, Mahonia. They all belong to the same plant family.

European barberry was believed to be good for the digestion, especially for the liver and gallbladder. In America, oregon grape (European or American) was used for diarrhea and dysentery and considered useful for a range of digestive problems. Its common names include woodsour, sowberry, sour-spine, and pipperidge bush, as well as jaundice berry from the yellow color of the wood. The active ingredient berberine, along with other alkaloids, imparts the yellow color. Berberine is a constituent common to Berberis and Mahonia species as well as to goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis.

Oregon grape, which is easily cultivated, has been suggested as a substitute for goldenseal, which is often difficult to find, and has been listed as endangered. Both plants contain berberine and both were used by American Indians. Oregon grape was said to be helpful in improving the appetite and counteracting general weakness. Although the purplish berries are edible and rich in vitamin C, the part of the plant used medicinally is the root.

Oregon's state flower blooms on this attractive, fast-growing shrub, which is popular in ornamental landscaping. Oregon grape has shiny dark green leaves, resembling holly leaves in their shape, color, and spininess. The plant's flowers are small and yellow-green. They are followed by the berries, which turn dark purple-blue when they are ripe. The clusters of berries resemble small bunches of grapes, and they are edible.

The shrub can reach 6 feet in height, but it usually grows about 3 to 4 feet tall. Oregon grape prefers a shady location and a fairly rich, well-drained soil (although we have seen it do well when cultivated in full sun and rather heavy soil). Its natural range is from Colorado west to northern California, then north to Canada. You can propagate oregon grape from cuttings taken in midsummer. The new plants will be ready to set out the following spring. Oregon grape can be grown from seed, too. Collect seeds from the berries in the fall, and plant them outdoors so that stratification (exposure to cold temperatures) occurs. Plants can also be obtained at many landscaping nurseries.

The root is the part of the oregon grape that is most often used for healing purposes. Do not gather it before the second year of the plant's growth, in late autumn, or in climates where the ground does not freeze during the winter. After harvesting the roots, you can replant the root crowns, and they will sometimes produce new plants. Some herbalists suggest digging up the earth around the roots, and making the harvest by pruning away one-fourth to one-third of the roots with shears, leaving enough of the root system for the plant to survive.

Oregon grape is ranked by some herbalists among the most outstanding native American herbs. Its bright yellow root is high in the alkaloid berberine, which is a constituent of other powerfully healing plants such as goldenseal. Many American herbalists believe that oregon grape stimulates liver activity and the secretion of bile. It is said to strengthen weak livers, and in the process, alleviate liver-induced symptoms such as headache, toxic blood, poor digestion, and lack of warmth. Oregon grape is also regarded as an excellent blood purifier, although these claims have not been verified by scientific research. To the root is assigned a warm, drying influence. Modern herbalists use oregon grape to cleanse the spleen, as well as the liver and blood. Oregon grape should not be used by anyone with an overactive liver, a condition created by overeating or eating too much rich food. Oregon grape is commonly prepared in a simple infusion, using 1/2 ounce of dried root to 1 quart of water. It is usually taken 1 cup at a time three times daily until relief is obtained. Oregon grape is often used in herbal formulas, too.

The berries of this striking plant are considered cooling and have been used in an infusion to break fevers. Gather them in late summer when they are fully ripe and preserve them in a syrup, or dry them. They make a tasty jam, too.

Other names

• Mountain Grape

Parts used

Root.

Uses

Oregon grape is chiefly used for gastritis and general digestive weakness, to stimulate gallbladder function, and to reduce congestion problems (mainly of the gut). Oregon grape also treats eczema, psoriasis, acne, boils, and herpes, and skin conditions linked to poor gallbladder function.

Habitat & cultivation

Native to North America, Oregon grape grows in the Rocky Mountains up to 7,000 ft (2,000 m), and in woods from Colorado to the Pacific coast. Oregon grape is abundant in Oregon and northern California.

Constituents

Oregon grape contains isoquinoline alkaloids (including berberine, berbamine, and hydrastine). These alkaloids are strong antiseptics and are thought  to reduce the severity of psoriasis.

How much to take

No standard dose of Oregon grape is established.

Side effects

Pregnant women should avoid oregon grape because of evidence that berberine can stimulate uterine contractions in animals. Too much oregon grape produces diarrhea, kidney inflammation, and undesirable psychological effects of daze and stupor.

Back To Top