Berberis darwinii Compacta - Barberry

Berberis darwinii 'Compacta' is a compact variety of Darwin's barberry. It forms a small, spiny bush that decorates the garden all year round with its charming, dark green, evergreen foliage, which resembles small holly leaves! When young, the leaves are tinged with red before darkening, creating a beautiful contrast with the abundant spring flowering of yellow-orange bell-shaped flowers hanging from bright red pedicels. In autumn, bluish-green berries ripen to a dark purple-black and are highly appreciated by birds, adorning the bush until the onset of winter. It is the perfect choice for creating a border or low hedge that is aesthetically pleasing in all seasons. It is vigorous and can be planted in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soils, preferably not too dry.

Darwin's barberry is a shrub from the berberidaceae family, native to South America and well adapted to our climates. The southern regions of Argentina and the Patagonian Andes are the birthplaces of this plant, which is resistant to cold temperatures down to -15°C (5°F), as well as sea spray and poor, dry soils.

Berberis darwinii 'Compacta' has a bushy, dense habit with reddish-brown, thorny branches. Its growth is relatively slow, reaching an average size of 90cm (35.4in) in all directions after 10 years. From April to May, depending on the climate, numerous clusters of 4 to 10cm (1.6 - 3.9in) long, pendant, reddish peduncles bearing 10 to 30 small flowers, bloom on 1-year-old stems. The bell-shaped flowers are 1cm (0.4in) long and yellow-orange, sometimes streaked with light red. They are highly nectar-rich and followed by small, fleshy, egg-shaped fruits with a chalky blue hue measuring 7mm (0.3in), which turn dark purple-black when ripe. The evergreen foliage is another asset of this barberry. Small, 2 to 4cm (0.8 - 1.6in) long, leathery leaves emerge red-bronze before becoming shiny dark green, with lighter undersides. The leaves are toothed and spiny along the edges, similar to those of common holly.

Berberis darwinii 'Compacta' should be more widely planted in our gardens. It can easily replace boxwood or hawthorn in a low defensive hedge, which should not be excessively pruned as its naturally dense and neat habit does not require it. While its berries may be less spectacular than those of pyracantha, it has the advantage of maintaining modest dimensions and provides interesting fruit to feed wildlife, while offering more elegant foliage. However, it is a shame to confine it to the role of an anonymous defensive hedge shrub. It deserves to be showcased alongside variegated foliage or in front of a screen of larger shrubs with blue flowers (Ceanothus Puget Blue), pink, mauve, or white flowers (Abelia), red flowers (Japanese Quinces), or even yellow to orange flowers (Kerria japonica, Brooms, Dropmore Scarlet Honeysuckle). This shrub can also be planted in small rockeries to cover slopes or in low hedges to highlight the edge of a pathway.

Did you know?

Immature fruits are toxic due to a molecule called berberine, which is degraded during fruit ripening, their very acidic taste is not appreciated, and they contain many seeds. In South America, the bark, rich in tannins, as well as the roots, are used to treat dysentery. Yellow pigment extracted from the roots is also used to dye textiles.