Yes, until they are fully ripe and have gone through a freeze or two. Don't eat the green ones. Creeping mahonia contains the alkaloids berberine and oxyacanthin. These compounds are present throughout leaves and stems, and are toxic to cattle. A rash to human skin may occur from spines on the leaves.

Are you sure? I've got a recipe for making jelly from the berries of Mahonia aquifolium, was going to try it sometime!

Yes, I'm sure. The question pertains to cattle. Please re-read my response.

Cattle are extremely unlikely to eat the berries, much to small and, in the UK at least, Mahonia is a shrub not a creeping plant. Landgirl yes you can make a jelly from the berries.

I only responded to the question given. You can make jelly.

Hi, there are 2 species of Mahonia which could be referred to as 'creeping' M repens, and M pumila, both are fully hardy, and both only grow to a height of 12", but have a spread of 3ft, both are native to U S A, Derek.

The leaves, stems and unripened berries are all toxic to cattle creeping or otherwise.

Yes Bathgate but the creeping varieties do not grow in the UK and I've yet to see a cow try to eat the berries of a Mahonia! Cows eat lush vegetation NOT berries!

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Mahonia+repens

The plant Mahonia (Oregon Grape) is native to North America but takes on various forms due to hybridization and cross-pollination some of which may grow in the UK.

The same applies to all forms of this plant regarding livestock/cattle. Regarding proper husbandry; no it's not safe for cattle to eat. Your cattle will die. It's listed as "poisonous" on various registries for livestock.

Mg - I don't know what your point is, but I wish you'd just answer the writer's question instead of critiquing everything I say. Unfortunately cattle (in UK or US) lack the intelligence to discern which plants/berries are safe to eat. A cow would eat a cardboard box if you fed it him - I've seen it.

So Mg - Are the berries of Mahonia harmful to cattle?

What grows in the UK is Aquifolium and the creeping one is Repens - maybe that makes a difference?

I have eaten them (ie Aquifolium)but they aren't particularly tasty. I ate them before frost. I may have been called an old cow behind my back but that probably doesn't qualify me to answer the question re cattle... But having looked at a couple of sites on Google its surprising that some list it as poisonous and some as medicinal,while there are also recipes available for making jelly. All I can say is it didn't poison me...

If this question is of serious concern, I would suggest contacting DEFRA for advice. We don't have enough information anyway.

Ster - I'm only speaking as pertains to cattle. Just as there are certain foods we eat that would be harmful or deadly to dogs & cats such as chocolate and liquorice. Mississippi mud pie is really good with coffee, but not so good for Marmaduke. All the information is freely available for anybody to research. I'm just passing it along.

Yep, that's why I said I didn't qualify as a cow....just thought it might be of interest to somebody.

I don't think eating Aquifolium would qualify you as a cow, especially since you here to talk about it. I remember driving down to the shore one balmy summer's day and my nephew would make fun of the "cows in bikinis" as he called them - and beached whales

lol!