The Mahonia x media cultivars have M. japonica and M. lomariifolia as their antecedents and possibly others such as M. bealei. This mixed gene pool has nonetheless hybridised various garden plants that look very similar e.g. 'Winter Sunshine' and 'Charity'.

 For the gardener they have the prized quality of coming into flower in late autumn/early winter when other flowers have faded. On warmer days they attract bees from their slumbers.

 NB the genus Mahonia is now considered to be part of the Berberis genus. For example M. x media is now B. x hortensis.