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Magazine
Eye-catching genus
I LOOK forward to the beginning of warm weather in the hills. For, among the many trees and shrubs, which, with their range and vibrancy of colour, burst into bloom after the long hard winter, I particularly delight in the rich golden yellow of the Mahonia tree. There is a magnificent specimen in the local library garden in Kodaikanal. In mid-February the buds start to form, with a hint of yellow. By end-March or mid-April, all the clusters become dazzling sprays of stiff, upright bright yellow racemes — a wondrous display indeed. The tree is an arresting sight even when not in bloom.
The Mahonia leschinaultii (family Berberidaces), a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs, is related to Berberis. At one time, it was included in that genus, but differs so much that in this instance at least, gardeners will not be at odds with botanists, who change nomenclatures, much to the dismay of laymen horticulturists, who have to relearn plant names.
Mahonis commemorates Bernard McMahon (1775-1816), an American horticulturist. Its chief distinguishing characteristic is that its stems do not have spines, but its leaves (which are pinnate or compound) do. They have very sharp edges. The inflorescences are made up of many dense spikes. The flowers bloom for a long time. Even when not in flower, the stiff waxy leaves, with their dull shine, and holly-like appearance (which grow in a circle at the ends of the branches) make the tree attractive. The bark is corky, rough and greyish brown. The leaves are eye-catching 15-45 cm long, pinnate, with two filiform stipules. The leaflets are in pairs, with one terminal, increasing in size towards the end, from polygonal in shape close to the base, to ovate at the outer end, lobed and spiny. The flowers come in dense erect racemes, 12-18 cm long. Each flower has six erect round petals that are notched. The fruits, which are globular, berrylike, are pea shaped, contain four or five seeds. As they are sweet, birds help disperse them. Mahonia leschinaultii is named in honour of Leschinauly de la Tour, a French botanist.
The tree thrives in a moist-rententive fertile (slightly acid for preference) but well drained soil, and sunny aspect, requiring little attention. No pruning, except for shaping, is necessary. It is rather slow growing, well adapted to pot growing, and can be kept indoors as a house plant where the beauty of the stiff, waxy hollylike leaves and its circular growth can be appreciated (one has to be careful about touching the leaves). Propagation can be done from seed, sown in spring. The suckers are obtained from the parent plant or from cuttings rooted in sandy soil.
Text and picture by
GIRIJA VIRARAGHAVAN
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