Mahonia eurybracteata 'SOFT CARESS'

Threadleaf mahonia (Oregon grape) is a Chinese taxon formerly known as mahonia confusa. Perhaps only with it rising popularity thanks to newly invented varieties its name was changed to m.eurybracteata. The first successful varieties were Narihira, Soft Caress, and Sweet Winter.

Soft Caress is a threadleaf mahonia variety from ItSaul Plants LLC, Georgia, USA. Its inventor Karen Reiter Stever found it among many seedlings of unnamed mahonia sp. in 2001 and its patent PP20183 was granted in 2009. Soft Cares exhibits much narrower and longer foliage than the Chinese species. The evergreen leaves are only some 1 cm wide, soft to touch, dark green, glossy, and form a loose frond on an airy shrub. In autumn unroll 10-20 cm tall, upright racemes composed of small, bright yellow, fragrant flowers. If pollinated, they are followed by purple blue, edible berries that taste like barberry berries.

It grows vigorously into a dense shrub about 1.5m tall and wide, and offers a lighter and fluffier appearance compared to SWEET WINTER^® variety. It loves a bit of sun and midday shade, or partial shade all day long. Plants grown in full sun set more flowers but are prone to sunscorch in colder climates. Still, they regenerate readily after spring pruning. This mahonia will be a jewel among other large-leaved evergreens and a fine-textured understory of mid-sized trees providing filtered sunlight.

Threadleaf mahonia requires fertile soil of any pH (acidic, neutral, and alkaline). It likes constantly moist but well-drained soil. We experienced the best results with acidic soil where its foliage produced the richest colour. It does not like drought so keep it mulched all year long. We have tested its hardiness to -20 °C (USDA zone 6) so far, and continue with hardiness trials as we believe it will take a few degrees lower.

Last update 29-11-2020