It is native to Taiwan, China (Guizhou, Hong Kong, Sichuan, Xizang (Tibet) and Yunnan) and Myanmar, where it occurs at elevations of 600 to 3800 m.[2] It has recently been found naturalized in South Africa.

Leaves are up to 45 cm long, compound with 12-20 pairs of leaflets plus a larger terminal one, dark green above, yellow-green below.

[5][6] Under that name, it was considered to occur only in mainland China, while Mahonia oiwakensis was limited to Taiwan.

[5] Because of differences between the Taiwanese and mainland Chinese plants, Julian Shaw described them as separate subspecies of Mahonia oiwakensis in 2011.

In addition, there has been a longstanding disagreement on if Mahonia should be more properly classified as a synonym of Berberis.