Tuesday, April 20, 2010

What are these 2 Atlanta plants?

A vine with yellow and red flowers, and plant with thorny leaves, blue berries, and a few bright red leaves.

These two survive on a steep Georgia hillside next to my house. English Ivy, Poison Ivy, and Kudzu share the space. In the spring they surprise us.

The vine is a doll.


The bush is just weird. It has thorny leaves and blue berries.

But it's these red leaves that catch the eye.

They grow on this bank. I doubt anyone planted them.

Thanks for your help.


  1. Terry, those are interesting! I have no clue, but thanks for the images, very pretty, someone will know.

  2. The vine is crossvine. The bush is mahonia. They are both natives. I love them both!

  3. Cyndia rocks vines and bushes. Thanks so much.

    Here is Crossvine. I need to identify it from the leaves so I don't cut it back.

    Here is Mahonia. I don't know if this is the right kind.

  4. Terry I adore the crossvine, how beautiful!!

    Art by Karena

  5. Crossvine is gorgeous! And love that it's native!!

  6. Aha David Wm Turner say the common name for the mahonia is "Oregon Grape bush" or "Oregon Grape Holly" http://tinyurl.com/2bhdev8

  7. Those are both beautiful flowers. You should get clippings, root them and plant them in your garden.

    Thanks for the picture suggestions. I really like the idea of rotating a few of my favorites. -cristi

  8. I know this is way after the fact, but as you can see from Terry's link, the Mahonia is considered invasive -- and rightly so. It pops up everywhere in the woods around Atlanta, due to the apparent delectability of its berries to birds. There is a type of Mahonia that is native to the American Northwest, but that's not the kind that is so pervasive around here -- that one comes from China.

    So although it's a pretty plant, you may want to consider replacing it with something native -- if you care about that kind of thing.


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