'Soft Caress' Oregon grape 'Soft Caress' Oregon grape (Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress') Genus:  Mahonia “Soft caress,” indeed! You’ll barely recognize this shade dweller as an Oregon grape when it sends up its long slender foliage without a single thorn. Its spikes of fragrant, lemon yellow flowers bloom from fall through winter, and will add a jolt to any shady bed. But the large clusters of silver-blue berries that follow the blooms are what I look forward to most. For the best results, give this drought-tolerant perennial afternoon shade, well-draining soil, and plenty of water the first year. -Leslie Finical Halleck, Fine Gardening # 147 (October 2012), page 74 Noteworthy Characteristics:  Fragrant yellow flowers on thornless stems. Care:  Give 'Soft Caress' plenty of water during its first year. Propagation:  Sow seed outdoors in a seedbed or in pots as soon as ripe or in the fall. Stratify seeds for best germination rates. Root semi-ripe or leaf-bud cuttings from late summer to autumn. Problems:  Rust, leaf spots, galls, scale insects, and whiteflies.

Overview

Height 3 to 4 feet Spread 3 to 4 feet Growth Habit Clumps Growth Pace Moderate Grower Light Part Shade to Full Shade Moisture Dry to Medium Maintenance Low Characteristics Showy Flowers, Showy Foliage, Showy Fruit Bloom Time Fall, Winter Flower Color Yellow Foliage Color Black Uses Beds and Borders, Combinations, Color, Shade Seasonal Interest Fall Interest Type Perennials