Berberis darwinii - Darwins barberry

The Berberis darwinii, or Darwin's Barberry, is one of those hardy, modest-sized shrubs that are perfect for adding lushness, colour and permanent structure to even the smallest gardens. It is admired for its bright flowering in both spring and autumn, with pendulous clusters of small yellow-orange flowers and its small holly-like foliage in dark, glossy green. In the garden, it is an easy plant, hardy and adaptable. It tolerates all exposures and a wide range of soils, making it an excellent alternative to pyracantha. It is essential in a natural garden or security hedge.

Darwin's Barberry is a shrub in the berberidaceae family native to South America and well adapted to our climates. The southern part of Argentina and the Patagonian Andes are the birthplaces of this plant, which is resistant to cold down to -15°C (5°F), salt spray, and poor, dry soils. Berberis darwinii has a bushy, dense, branched, spreading habit supported by reddish-brown, spiny, and arching branches. Its growth is quite rapid, reaching an average size of 2m (6.6ft) in all directions. From March to May, depending on the climate, numerous clusters of 4 to 10cm (3.9in) long, pendulous flower spikes with reddish stalks and 10 to 30 small flowers bloom on one-year-old stems. This berberis often offers a second, less abundant flowering in autumn. The bell-shaped flowers, 1cm (0.4in) long, are bright yellow streaked with orange. They are highly nectar-rich and are followed by small, fleshy fruits with a chalky blue colour, oval-shaped, about 7mm (0.3in) long, which turn purple when ripe. The evergreen foliage is another asset of this barberry. It consists of small, leathery, shiny green leaves, 2 to 4cm (1.6in) long, lighter on the underside. They are toothed and spiny on the edges, similar to those of common holly.

Darwin's Barberry should be planted more in our gardens. It can perfectly replace pyracantha in a medium-sized security hedge. It should not be pruned too much as its naturally dense and neat habit does not require it. While its berries are less spectacular than those of pyracantha, it has the advantage of maintaining modest dimensions and blooming twice, while offering more elegant foliage. But it is a shame to confine it to the role of an anonymous security hedge shrub; although it fulfils its mission perfectly, its personality is somewhat blurred. It deserves to be highlighted alongside variegated foliage or in front of a screen of larger flowering shrubs with blue (Ceanothus Puget Blue), pink, mauve, or white (Abelia), red (Japanese Quince), or even yellow to orange (Kerria japonica, Genista Lena Orange, Dropmore Scarlett Honeysuckle) colour. Some, with great originality, train it as a small single-stemmed tree. This shrub can also be planted in large rockeries, to cover slopes or highlight the edge of a path.

Did you know?

The immature fruits are toxic because of a molecule called berberine, which is degraded during fruit ripening. However, their very acidic taste is not appreciated, and they contain many seeds. In South America, the bark, rich in tannins, and roots, are used to treat dysentery. A yellow pigment is also extracted from the roots and used to dye textiles.