shrub
Oregon grape 'Compacta'
Mahonia aquifolium 'Compacta'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 5–9, Oregon grape 'Compacta' is a slow-growing evergreen shrub. Expect 2–3 ft of height and 3–4 ft of spread; our lists space it 3 ft apart. It does best in part sun to shade with little water once established. Expect yellow flowers in March to April. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. It is native to the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain West. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states, the Desert Southwest and the Southeast, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Mahonia aquifolium 'Compacta'
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 5 to 9
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Tolerates dry shade once established; avoid hot afternoon sun.
- Mature size
- 2–3 ft tall × 3–4 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Mar–Apr · yellow
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- natural, low water
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Oregon grape is listed non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA.
- Native to
- Pacific Northwest and Mountain West
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $30–$45 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
- Pruning
- Cut the tallest stems to the base after flowering to keep it low.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Oregon grape 'Compacta', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Pennsylvania sedgeCarex pensylvanicaornamental grass · zones 3–8
- White wood asterEurybia divaricataperennial · zones 3–8
- Western sword fernPolystichum munitumfern · zones 5–9
- Bigroot geraniumGeranium macrorrhizumperennial · zones 3–8
- Northern bush honeysuckleDiervilla lonicerashrub · zones 3–7
- FoamflowerTiarella cordifoliaperennial · zones 3–8
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Oregon grape 'Compacta': same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants