Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to western Montana.

Habitat: Generally in light woodland and forest edge.

Flowers: April-May

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Low, evergreen shrubs generally 0.1-0.3 m, occasionally taller; glabrous, brown to yellow-brown bark.

Leaves alternate, pinnately-compound, leathery; leaflets 9-21, glossy to somewhat dull and glaucous, lance-ovate to ovate, 3-8 cm long and 1-5 cm broad, 4-6 veins from base, somewhat dull and glaucous, 6-13 spine-tipped teeth.

Inflorescences dense racemes, 6-17 cm long with 30-70 flowers; bracts 3, greenish-yellow, 2-3 mm long; sepals 6, yellow, 6-8 mm long; petals 6, yellow, bi-lobed; stamens 6, opposite of petals; pair of lateral teeth absent from filaments; style none, stigma sessile.

Berries blue, glaucous, juicy, solid, oblong-ovoid to globose, 8-11 mm.