Brush - Range & Pasture - Agarita
BES-TEX BRUSH ID GUIDE
Agarita
Agarito, Algerita, Desert Holly
Berberis trifoliolata (syn. Mahonia trifoliolata)
Plant Type
Spiny, thicket-forming shrub; barberry family (Berberidaceae)
Life Cycle
Perennial; native
Leaf Habit
Evergreen (Texas A&M)
Typical Height
3 to 8 ft (Texas A&M)
Photo Gallery
How to Identify It
Quick ID
Leaves
- Each leaf has three stiff, spiny, blue-green leaflets that look like holly (Texas A&M)
- Leaflets are thick and leathery with coarse, spine-tipped edges (USDA Forest Service)
Bark & Wood
- Reddish-brown to gray bark with yellow wood (Texas A&M)
- Forms dense thickets (USDA Forest Service)
Flowers
- Yellow, clustered, fragrant, cup-shaped flowers from February to April (Texas A&M)
Berries
- Bright red berries follow the flowers (Texas A&M)
- Round, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch across (USDA Forest Service)
Look-Alikes
Red Barberry and Other Native Barberries
- New Mexico State University lists Berberis haematocarpa (larger) and B. swaseyi (smaller) as similar Southwest barberries
- How to tell them apart from agarita in the field: [PLACEHOLDER]
Holly (Yaupon and Others)
- Agarita leaves are divided into three leaflets that only resemble holly (Texas A&M)
- Further field differences: [PLACEHOLDER]
Counter script: "If it is an evergreen shrub with stiff, spiny, holly-like leaves in sets of three leaflets, yellow wood, and yellow spring flowers or red berries, it is most likely agarita."
Where It Grows
Texas
- Grows throughout most of Texas except the eastern and southeastern parts of the state (USDA Forest Service)
- Ecoregions (Texas A&M): Gulf Prairies and Marshes, Post Oak Savannah, Cross Timbers and Prairies, South Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Rolling Plains, Trans-Pecos
Oklahoma
- [PLACEHOLDER]
New Mexico
- Range extends west from Texas into New Mexico and Arizona (USDA Forest Service)
- Found on New Mexico brushlands (New Mexico State University)
Sites and soils: Found on rocky slopes and pastures, prefers alkaline soils, and often grows near live oak and mesquite (Texas A&M).
Best Time to Control
The Brush Busters leaf spray method for agarita and other minor brush species starts in late spring through summer, on plants with mature, healthy leaves, a full leaf canopy, and good soil moisture. For best results, do not spray when rain has stimulated new growth at the stem tips, when leaves are wet, or when foliage is damaged by hail, insects, or disease (Brush Busters).
Agarita is a woody perennial. No pre-emergent herbicide controls agarita.
Treatment Methods
Foliar (Leaf) Spray
- Brush Busters leaf spray works on plants with a good leaf canopy and under 6 ft tall (Brush Busters)
- Wet all leaves until they glisten but do not drip (Brush Busters)
- We did not find a Corteva non-restricted product label (Sendero, Remedy Ultra, PastureGard HL, Surmount) that lists agarita. Follow the label and call BES-TEX.
Basal Bark and Cut Stump
- Labeled product and method for agarita: [PLACEHOLDER]
- Follow the label and call BES-TEX.
Individual Plant vs. Broadcast
- Texas A&M lists only an individual plant treatment for agarita, with no broadcast rate
- Follow the label for broadcast use
Product names are examples only. Always read and follow the product label. For product selection and help, contact BES-TEX at 325.653.1300.
Sources: Brush Busters: How to Brush Off Minor Species, RWFM-PU-376 (Texas A&M AgriLife); Texas A&M AgriLife ERM-1466 Chemical Weed and Brush Control (2026); Texas A&M Plants of Texas Rangelands, Algerita; USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information System, Mahonia trifoliolata; New Mexico State University, Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands, Algerita. No Corteva non-restricted label found listing agarita.
