Mahonia x Media ‘Winter Sun’

Description

🌿 Key Characteristics

• Habit: Upright, bushy, evergreen shrub with a strong architectural presence.
• Height & Spread: Typically 2.5–4 m tall and 1.5–3 m wide at maturity.
• Foliage: Large, glossy, spine‑toothed leaves up to 45 cm long.
• Flowers: Bright yellow, fragrant, densely clustered racemes from late autumn to late winter.
• Fruit: Purple‑blue berries in summer, attractive to birds.
• Hardiness: Fully hardy across the UK (RHS H5).

🌱 Growing Conditions

• Light: Thrives in partial to full shade; tolerates sun if soil stays moist.
• Soil: Moist, well‑drained, humus‑rich; adaptable to clay, loam, or sand, and any pH.
• Exposure: Sheltered or semi‑exposed; wind‑tolerant.
• Drought: Moderate tolerance once established.

✂️ Care & Maintenance

• Pruning: Minimal. After flowering, trim spent racemes above a leaf joint to encourage bushiness.
• Feeding: General‑purpose feed in early spring; mulch annually with compost or leaf mould.
• Propagation: Semi‑ripe cuttings in summer.

🌼 Why Grow ‘Winter Sun’?

• Provides winter fragrance and colour when little else blooms.
• Excellent for shady borders, woodland gardens, and structural planting.
• Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit, confirming reliability and performance.