Flower profile

Cascade oregon-grape

Berberis nervosa

Native in the lower 48

Cascade oregon-grape is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

5states

2of our state lists

16,188U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Oregon, Washington

Quick look

Berberis nervosa, commonly known as dwarf Oregon-grape, Cascade barberry, Cascade Oregon-grape, or dull Oregon-grape, is a North American flowering plant.
From Wikipedia's article Berberis nervosa, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Berberidaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 5 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Washington and Oregon. ^NatureServe
In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 10,279 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #5 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,842 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #26 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. ^iNaturalist

Cascade oregon-grape gift ideas

Handmade cascade oregon-grape gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Cascade oregon-grape art print
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Cascade oregon-grape greeting card
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Cascade oregon-grape mug
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Cascade oregon-grape earrings
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Cascade oregon-grape embroidery pattern
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Cascade oregon-grape sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (558 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Washington	Native	April–June	10,279
Oregon	Native	April–June	4,842

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MT (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records cascade oregon-grape in 5 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Idaho, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington.

Washington counties with USDA records: Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Yakima.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Yamhill.

More Washington flowers

Oregon grape

Berberis aquifolium

★ OR state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in WA: March–May

White inside-out flower

Vancouveria hexandra

Native

🌼 Blooms: May–July

Vanilla leaf

Achlys triphylla

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: April–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MANE2.
iNaturalist, Berberis nervosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Berberis nervosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Berberis nervosa (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: John Brew via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.