Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Soft Caress'

Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Soft Caress' won the Award for Plant of the Year at the 2013 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It has soft pinnate palm-like foliage and is quite different from the stiff leathery leaves of Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. eurybracteata. That old chestnut of 'when is a plant a Mahonia and when is a plant a Berberis' remains relevant and no doubt, taxonomists will be arguing about it for centuries to come. Technically, or at least according to the latest details from the Kew Plant List, Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis is actually Berberis ganpinensis. The original Chinese infraspecific variety Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis is found in the Chinese provinces of Guizhou, Hubei and Sichuan but Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Soft Caress' was originally developed by renowned plantsman Ozzie Johnson and patented by ITSaul Plants where he is a partner. ITSaul states: " 'Soft Caress’ is discovered as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation in summer of 2001 in a nursery in Chamblee, Georgia. The new cultivar was derived from sown seeds of unnamed plants of Mahonia and was selected for its thread-like foliage." The plant was introduced to the American market in 2006.

Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Soft Caress' is a wonderful plant and you should definitely own one - or probably several. Its foliage is very exotic and reminiscent of a small understory palm.