Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’
This year I promised myself that I would incorporate more plants that can multitask and require less work and stress. One such plant that I have added to my ever-expending must-have list is Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’. Trust me on this—you’ll soon be adding it to yours, too.
Please keep reading to learn about this fantastically functional plant:
Above: Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ has a ground-hugging growth habit. Photograph via Panther Creek Nursery.
Let’s start with the plant’s name. When most people think of mahonias, images of large, prickly, poky plants come to mind, the kind of shrub you avoid unless you are wearing an armored suit. This mahonia is different. Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ suggests a less painful experience, which it totally delivers on. Its slender, soft, and spineless leaves appear almost fern-like. In addition to its friendly texture, this mahonia blooms with bright yellow, showy spikes in the fall/early winter, just when your garden starts to spiral downward. As the flowers fade, blue berry-like fruits appear that are loved by songbirds, especially cedar waxwings.
Growing to a compact 3-foot high by 3.5-foot wide, this versatile evergreen shrub also checks the box for year-round interest—not to mention it fits in well with numerous types of garden styles and can provide different functions, to boot. Consider planting this shrub as an understory to taller plants like tree ferns and Japanese maples; as a low alt-hedge to more traditional shrubs; as a way to obscure an unattractive house foundation; or as the focal plant in a container.
Turns out, I am not alone in my admiration of this plant. The patented ‘Soft Caress’ cultivar won the Royal Horticulture Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in 2013 and was named Plant of the Year for its attractive foliage and compact habit.
Cheat Sheet
Above: The plant blooms in fall/early winter. Photograph via Panther Creek Nursery.
- Hardy in USDA Zones 7a-9b.
- Attractive to birds, bees, and butterflies—and to nibbling bunnies, too. Deer, however, surprisingly leave this shrub alone.
- Looks especially attractive mingling with round and oversized leaves like farfugiums, bergenias and hostas.
- Perfect for all sorts of garden styles, including Asian-inspired, woodland, and modern gardens.
- A perfect plant for containers, to act as a low hedge, to mass plant, even to add to hillsides.
Keep It Alive
Above: A 3-gallon pot of Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’ is $49.99 at Denchfield Nursery.
- Plant in a partly shady to a fully shaded spot, but I think the growth habit is more attractive in part sun.
- Low to moderate water needs.
- Prefers well-draining soil that is not overly acidic, so avoid planting under conifer trees that can acidify soil.
- Prune in the spring for a more pleasant shape.
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