categoryZShrubs Shrubs List 
categoryZBroadleaf Broadleaf List 
categoryZEvergreen Evergreen List 

DARWIN'S BARBERRY

Berberis darwinii

Barberry Family [Berberidaceae]

Flowers:
month8apr month8april month8may month8jun month8june

Berries: berryZpossible        berryZgreen berryZbluish berryZblack  (bluish-black, ovaloid, symmetric)
berry8Jul berry8July berry8Aug berry8Sep berry8Sept berry8Oct berry8nov

category
category8Shrubs
category
category8Broadleaf
category
category8Evergreen
status
statusZneophyte

flower
flower8orange
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ5
 
type
typeZpanicle
 
type
typeZbell
 
stem
stem8round
 
stem
stem8spines
spines
contact
contactZlowish
 
sex
sexZbisexual
 

23rd March 2010, Leeds & L/pool canal, Appley Bridge, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
A garden shrub that can escape and grows up to 3m high.


24th March 2012, Leeds & L/pool canal, Wigan, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
A garden shrub that has escaped but finds it hard to grow taller than the weeds within a the brick wall.


24th March 2012, Leeds & L/pool canal, Wigan, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Leaves highly distinctive and smaller than most Barberries.


24th March 2012, Leeds & L/pool canal, Wigan, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Flowers bell-shaped and orange rather than yellow.


24th March 2012, Leeds & L/pool canal, Wigan, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Flowers can be larger than the leaves when open.


24th March 2012, Leeds & L/pool canal, Wigan, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Five sepals cup the flower from behind and are are orange-yellow.


24th March 2012, Leeds & L/pool canal, Wigan, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Pinkish flower-stalks.


24th March 2012, Leeds & L/pool canal, Wigan, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Style within bell is long and terminated by a prominent disc. Yellow stamens surround it bearing creamy-yellow pollen.


24th March 2012, Leeds & L/pool canal, Wigan, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Leaves thick and leathery with a dark-green shiny upper surface. Twigs covered in short brown hairs.


13th July 2012, a garden, Rosthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Berries start off greenish, and progress through peach colours to a bloomed blue. They too are distinctive, more globular and bloated than Chinese Barberry and with much longer style at the end which terminates in a smaller disc, looking like miniature blown-up balloons. Berries (and flowers) in pendulous racemes.


13th July 2012, a garden, Rosthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Berries turn blue-black.


13th July 2012, a garden, Rosthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Older leaves have parallel sides, and about six edges, with a forwardly-directed prickly spine at each corner. The two edges at the front are normally indented.


13th July 2012, a garden, Rosthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Berries turn blue-black with a matt bloom. Young leaves do no possess the angular profile.


13th July 2012, a garden, Rosthwaite, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Spines are between 3- to 7-partite. (Your Author thinks they must be very short, because these are the only spines he can find in any of his photos (two sets near the centre).


Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The older leaves have parallel sides and about 5 edges, the two at the front indented. Flowers orange rather than yellow.

The spines on the twigs and branches are not simple, but between 3-partite and 7-partite (your Author cannot spot any in his photos).


  Berberis darwinii  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Berberidaceae  

Distribution
 family8Barberry family8Berberidaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Berberis
Berberis
(Barberry)

DARWIN'S BARBERRY

Berberis darwinii

Barberry Family [Berberidaceae]