The plants are helpful in holding the soil, as they spread close to the ground.
Oregon Grape
23. FREMONT BARBERRYBarberry Family
Berberis fremontii
This rather tall shrub of the Sonoran Zones puts on a remarkable display in April and May with its bright yellow flowers. It is most commonly seen along the highway leading to Zion National Park from the west.
Since the plant is a secondary host of the Blackstem Rust of cereals, it is not cultivated as an ornamental shrub.
Indians used the wood of this shrub for various implements or tools. They utilized the root, which contains berberine, for a tonic, and they also made from it a brilliant-yellow dye.
Fremont Barberry