Leaf
Gagea · CC BY-SA 3.0
Darwin's barberry
Berberis darwinii Hook.
Family: Berberidaceae
2 to 3 m tall
Defensive hedges and borders, free-draining soil, full sun
Flowering: April – May
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -15°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
It is named after Charles Darwin, who collected it in South America during the voyage of the Beagle in 1835.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, small, leathery, with spiny margins resembling a miniature holly, glossy dark green
🌸 Flowers
Small, bright orange, in very numerous pendent racemes
🍎 Fruits
Small dark blue-purple berries, edible but tart
🪵 Bark
Spiny shoots, grey-brown
🗺️ Distribution
Native to Chile and Argentina; introduced to Europe in the 19th century
🐝 Value for pollinators
Very nectar-rich early flowering, among the first sources of nectar in spring
✂️ Horticultural uses
Impenetrable defensive hedges thanks to the spines, very free-flowering borders
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Bark and roots rich in berberine; wounding spines
🌿 Other Berberidaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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