A tough, spiny-leaved Texas native shrub with striking blue-gray, holly-like foliage that stays evergreen year-round. Clusters of fragrant yellow flowers open in late winter, among the first blooms of the season, drawing pollinators before giving way to tart red berries prized for jams and jellies and readily eaten by birds and wildlife. Its dense, thorny branching makes it a natural choice for wildlife hedges or barrier plantings, while deer tend to leave it alone. Once established, Agarita is remarkably drought- and heat-tolerant, thriving in the caliche and clay soils typical of North Texas with virtually no supplemental care.