Darwin's Barberry
Berberis darwinii
Also known as
Barberry
Berberis darwinii 05 by Michael Wolf (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Full Sun
Moderate care
Light watering
Frost Hardy
8a
USDA zone
-12°C
Minimum temperature
Expected size
Height | Spread | |
|---|---|---|
2.5m | Max | 2.5m |
1.5m | Min | 1.5m |
20 years to reach maturity
Flowering
-
spring
-
summer
-
autumn
-
winter
This plant has a mild fragrance
More images of Darwin's Barberry
Darwin's Barberry Overview
Berberis darwinii has earnt a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. This evergreen shrub can grow to 3-4 metres tall. The leaves are dark green with a glossy sheen to them, growing 12-25mm in length and 5-12mm wide. They grow in clusters of 2-5 and have spiked edges. The flowers are a light orange-yellow which are very small growing to 2-4mm long in the spring. These are then followed by small purple-black berries that ripen up in the summer and can be eaten, however it is very acidic.
Common problems with Darwin's Barberry
How to harvest Darwin's Barberry
Generally not harvested
How to propagate Darwin's Barberry
Seed
You should sown your seeds as soon as the berries are ripe, this will allow the seeds to germinate by late winter or early spring. When the seeds are taken from over ripe fruit, they will take longer to germinate giving you less planting time. If you buy stored seeds you may have to use cold stratification and be sown as early in the year as possible. Seedlings will need good ventilation and do not over water them as they will easily die from damping off. When they are large enough to be pricked off they should then be planted into separate pots and grow in cold frames and can be planted out the following spring or early summer.
Cuttings
The deciduous hybrids and cultivars can be propagated by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in the summer.
Special features of Darwin's Barberry
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
Other uses of Darwin's Barberry
A low maintenance plant that can be planted as hedges/screens for security purposes. It is also useful for banks & slopes in coastal or informal cottage gardens.
Jams and jellies
Larger Shrubs for Gardens
For larger gardens, these flowering shrubs are perfect additions to provide habitat and food for pollinators.
Spring Flowering Garden Shrubs
These spring flowering shrubs are great additions, providing pollinators with habitat, shelter and food.
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