Herbs in Focus: Oregon Grape

Oregon grape root

Not that we’re playing favorites here, but Oregon grape is one of our favorite ingredients. Not just because it’s easy to spot on a hike in the Pacific Northwest—it’s a low, glossy shrub with spiky leaves that look like holly, bright yellow flowers that practically glow, and later in the season, deep blue berries that look like they’ve been dusted with frost. It’s not showy in a “look at me” way. It’s more like the kind of plant that looks like it’s been here forever (because it has).

And if you ask a naturopathic doctor or herbalist about it, you’ll usually get a smile because Oregon grape is one of those roots with a reputation. Not trendy. Not flashy. In fact, you may have never heard of it. It’s just deeply traditional. The kind of plant people have turned to for generations when the body feels off balance and needs a little support getting back on track.

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What is Oregon Grape?

Oregon grape is one of those plants that feels like it belongs in a superhero movie. It’s tough and quietly powerful with the potential for a huge impact when used in herbal supplements.

But what is it? Oregon grape is an evergreen shrub native to the Pacific Northwest, and you’ll find it thriving in places like Oregon, Washington, Northern California, Idaho, and British Columbia, especially along woodland edges, shady hillsides, and in forest undergrowth. It’s incredibly hardy, which is one reason why it’s become such a recognizable plant across the region.

If you’ve ever walked a Northwest trail and noticed a plant with shiny, spiky-edged leaves that look a little like holly, you might have been looking right at it. In spring, Oregon grape produces clusters of bright yellow flowers (yes, those are the Oregon grape flower clusters people reference). Later in the season, those flowers turn into small, round berries that ripen into a deep bluish-purple, often with a dusty, silvery coating.

What parts of Oregon grape are used?

When people talk about Oregon grape in herbal supplements, they’re usually referring to the root, which has a long history of traditional use. While the flowers are also beneficial, the root is where many of the plant’s most studied and concentrated compounds are found, so it is used more frequently.

As an aside, the berries are sometimes used in foods, like jellies, but for supplements, the star of the show is almost always the root.

Herbalist rendition of Oregon grape root

A Brief History of Oregon Grape in Herbal Traditions

As noted, Oregon grape, also known as Mahonia aquifolium or Berberis aquifolium, is native to the forests of the Pacific Northwest. It’s an understory plant people have known, named, and worked with for generations. Long before it showed up in herb books and formularies, it was already part of daily life in many Indigenous communities across the region. In fact, ethnobotanical records describe tribes along the Columbia River and in coastal/Salish areas using Oregon grape (and related barberry-family plants) in practical, hands-on ways, especially the roots, for yellow dye and traditional preparations (1).

As white settlers expanded west in the 1800s, Oregon grape moved from “local knowledge” into the broader stream of Western herbal practice. It helped create a bridge between cultures, remaining distinctly regional yet increasingly written about, traded, and experimented with by physicians and herbalists of the era.

One interesting historical thread involves the Eclectic physicians, a 19th-century American medical movement known for botanical medicines, and, specifically, Dr. Bundy, who introduced it as a treatment for skin conditions (2). This introduction helped elevate Oregon grape into more formal medical discussions and products.

By the turn of the 20th century, Oregon grape’s reputation surpassed its folk and regional roots. Oregon formally adopted Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) as the state flower in 1899, after advocacy and debate over which plant best represented the state. This, again, raised the plant’s profile and helped it grow in popularity.

The paper trail of American pharmacy and materia medica in the 1900s also includes Oregon grape with references connecting it to pharmacopeial and formulary traditions (3). Inclusion in such papers and records is a big signal that a plant had become widely recognized and described in the medical marketplace of its time. 

Oregon Grape Benefits

Oregon grape has a bit of a “two-story house” reputation in herbalism.

Above ground, you’ve got the bright flowers and berries. They’re beautiful, seasonal, and supportive of the ecosystem around them.

But below ground? That’s where Oregon grape earns its place in traditional and modern herbal formulas.

Let’s break it down.

Oregon Grape Flower Benefits

Oregon grape flowers aren’t the primary part used in most modern herbal supplements, but they still have value, especially in the broader context of traditional plant use and seasonal herbalism.

Historically and practically, the flowers are most known for:

  • Supporting pollinators and biodiversity- Oregon grape blooms early, and those bright yellow flowers are an important nectar source for bees and other beneficial insects in the Pacific Northwest.
  • Traditional “springtime” use in folk practice-  In some herbal traditions, flowers from bitter or aromatic plants are used in gentle seasonal preparations—more in the sense of supporting the body’s transition into spring than targeting a specific system.

That said, it’s important to be honest: when you see Oregon grape in supplements, the benefits people are usually seeking are tied to the root, not the flower.

Oregon Grape Root Benefits

Oregon grape root is a classic “bitter” root, deeply traditional, strongly flavored, and historically used for foundational wellness support.

Oregon grape root, Mahonia aquifolium or Berberis aquifolium, is most commonly associated with:

  • Digestive support
    If you’ve ever used cocktail bitters for digestive support, then learning that bitter roots are traditionally used to support digestion, especially when digestion feels sluggish or “stuck,” it’ll come as no surprise that Oregon grape fits firmly in that category.
  • Liver and gallbladder support (traditional use)
    In Western herbalism, Oregon grape root has long been used in formulas intended to support the liver’s natural detox pathways and bile flow.
  • Skin support
    This is one of Oregon grape’s most well-known traditional uses. It’s often included in herbal formulas to support clearer-looking skin, especially when skin concerns are linked to digestion or internal imbalance.
  • Microbial balance and immune support (traditional + research interest)
    Oregon grape root contains berberine-related compounds that are widely studied for their effects on microbial activity. This is one reason the plant remains a topic of discussion in modern herbal conversations and practitioner formulas. It’s also one reason we use it in our Super Immune Ally.

In short, it’s a versatile herb with benefits across the entire system, making it an essential ingredient in botanicals and naturopathic medicine. 

Oregon Grape Root Benefits

What Is Oregon Grape Good For and Who Benefits?

If you’ve spent any time around herbalists or naturopathic doctors, you may have noticed something: they don’t always talk about herbs like “this one is for that.”

They talk about patterns. And Oregon grape has a very clear pattern.

It’s one of those plants that gets pulled out when the body feels stuck, when things aren’t moving well, clearing well, or regulating well. In traditional herbal language, Oregon grape is a bitter root. And bitters have a long history of being used to wake up digestion, support bile flow, and help the body do what it already knows how to do, just a little more smoothly.

This is a core tenet of naturopathic medicine. To support the body’s natural ability to balance and work as it’s designed.

That’s why Oregon grape root is so often associated with digestive support, especially when digestion feels sluggish, heavy, or off rhythm. The kind of digestion where you don’t necessarily feel “sick,” but you also don’t feel great, like your system is dragging its feet.

And here’s where it gets really interesting: in herbal traditions, digestion and skin are close neighbors. In your stomach, you feel it; on your skin, you see it.

For that reason, Oregon grape also has a long-standing reputation as an herb that supports the skin, especially for skin issues that seem to originate from the inside out. These are not issues that can be easily fixed with an over-the-counter cleanser, cream, or stringent. We’re talking the kind of skin issue that flares, lingers, or keeps coming back, so we know the skin feels like it’s telling a deeper story.

This is one reason Oregon grape became so well known historically. It wasn’t just a plant people admired on the trail. It was a plant people turned to when the body needed a reset. The key piece here is that, as a botanical, Oregon grape works with the system, supporting vital processes and functions. 

In modern practice, Oregon grape root also often comes up in discussions of microbial balance. Part of that is because the root contains berberine-related compounds, which are widely studied and discussed in botanical research. But part of it is simpler than that: Oregon grape has always been considered a plant with a strong “clearing” personality, and that’s a role many people are still looking for today.

So who tends to benefit most?

Usually, it’s adults who feel like their wellness goals are connected. The body is a system. Like muscle pain, which can radiate elsewhere in the body, other symptoms may appear in one place but be linked to a system elsewhere.

People who aren’t just trying to address one symptom but are noticing a cluster and feeling generally unwell may benefit. Whether it’s ongoing illnesses they just can’t kick, digestion that’s a little slow, skin that’s a little reactive, energy that’s a little dull, and an overall sense that the body could use support getting back into balance, Oregon grape can help.

It’s also a plant that practitioners often appreciate, because it’s not vague. Oregon grape root has a history. It has a clear traditional role. And it tends to be used with intention, not sprinkled into formulas as a “filler herb.”

If Oregon grape has a theme, it’s this:

When the body needs a boost or needs to clear, regulate, and reset, start with the roots.

Oregon grape root

Choosing a High-Quality Supplement with Oregon Grape

As with any herbal supplement, the same rules apply, and often the choice comes down to a company or a product. Look for these characteristics in the botanical company, not just a single supplement.

It’s worth slowing down, doing your research, and reading labels. Enter the process curious, grounded, and a little picky.

Pay attention to sourcing

Plants are shaped by their environment. Good companies can usually tell you something about where their Oregon grape comes from and how it was harvested. Bonus points if they mention sustainable or organic sourcing, because Oregon grape is a slow-growing plant, and the root is the part being used.

Choose brands that test their products

Third-party and clinical testing matters. It’s one of the best ways to confirm that a supplement is clean and matches the label claims, especially for heavy metals, microbes, or pesticide residue.

Make sure it matches your goal

Some Oregon grape supplements are single-herb extracts. Others use Oregon grape as part of a blend for digestive support, skin health, or microbial balance. Either can be a great option; you just want the formula to match what you’re trying to support.

And if you’re not sure where to start, Oregon grape is one of those herbs where a quick check-in with a practitioner can go a long way. As always, we welcome any questions you may have, whether it’s about Oregon grape or our Super Immune Ally.

At SuperTrees Botanicals, we pride ourselves on the quality, consistency, and purity of our products, all of which have been tested in clinical settings, often for a decade or more, before moving into production. We work with local farms with whom we maintain an ongoing relationship and use organic products whenever possible.

For us, Oregon grape is an essential herb in our Super Immune Ally, which was designed to provide ongoing immune support and was part of a successful clinical COVID study. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!


Sources:

1. Fillhart, S., & Policha, T. (2006). Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium): Oregon state flower (Vol. 13, Kalmiopsis). Oregon Flora Project; Oregon Native Plant Society. Retrieved from https://www.npsoregon.org/kalmiopsis/kalmiopsis13/fillhart.pdf

2. Brinker, F. (2006, January 31). Eclectic case histories: Psoriasis treatment with Oregon grape extracts. Journal of the American Herbalists Guild. American Herbalists Guild. Retrieved from https://americanherbalistsguild.com/eclectic-case-histories-psoriasis-treatment-oregon-grape-extracts-0/

3. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Untitled ethnobotany/pharmacognosy document (Doc. No. 9702411) [PDF]. DigiRepo. National Institutes of Health. pp. 12. Retrieved from https://digirepo.nlm.nih.gov/ext/dw/9702411/PDF/9702411.pdf

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