Side by side
Oregon grape or holly olive? How to tell them apart
Berberis aquifolium · Osmanthus heterophyllus
How to tell them apart – Oregon grape: compound leaves and yellow flower clusters in spring; holly olive: evergreen shrub with holly-like, spiny leaves that, unlike holly, are opposite, fragrant little white flowers in autumn.
How do you recognise them?
- Oregon grape
- Evergreen shrub with pinnate, holly-like spiny leaves and yellow flower clusters in spring.
- Compared with holly olive: compound leaves and yellow flower clusters in spring.
- Holly olive
- Evergreen shrub with holly-like, spiny leaves that, unlike holly, are opposite; fragrant little white flowers in autumn.
| Oregon grape | Holly olive | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, pinnate with 5–9 glossy, spiny-toothed leaflets; often reddish in winter. | Opposite, 3–6 cm, leathery and glossy dark green; young leaves with 1–4 pairs of spiny teeth, older leaves often untoothed. |
| Flowering | Upright clusters of fragrant yellow flowers in March–May (March–May). | Small, white, sweetly scented flowers in clusters in the leaf axils, in September–October (September–October). |
| Fruit | Bluish-black berries with a waxy bloom, edible but sour. | Bluish-black drupes, rare in our climate. |
| Bark | Greyish-brown; the wood is yellow. | Greyish-brown and smooth. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–2 m | Shrub, 2–4 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, naturalised | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and birds | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | May–June | April–June |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have: see the growing conditions in the table.
Read on
- Plant profile: Oregon grape
- Plant profile: Holly olive
- Oregon grape: when and how to prune
- Holly olive: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.