It is an evergreen shrub with short vertical stems, mostly less than 61 centimetres (24 in),[2] while the leaves reach higher, rarely up to 2.1 m (7 ft) tall on exceptional sites.

[1][6] A paper was published by Joseph Edward Laferrière in 1997 summarized the arguments in favor of Berberis as the correct classification.

[1][10] It is native to the northwest coast of North America from southern British Columbia south to central California, with an isolated population inland in northern Idaho.

[11][12][13] It is especially common in second growth, Douglas-fir[14] or western redcedar forests, making use of those pools of sunlight that intermittently reach the ground.

Low Oregon-grape thrives in sun or shade and is a common or dominant species throughout the understories in montane, sub-montane, and mixed evergreen forests in the Pacific Northwest.

Various small mammals feed on the foliage extensively, and it is extremely important food source for the white-footed vole in the Coast Range of Oregon.