Identifying Darwin’s Barberry (Berberis darwinii)

Take great care when identifying wild plants and fungi, this blog is not a resource to be taken by itself and further resources will be linked. Consult other sources and double check. While foraging is an extremely rewarding and useful skill, numerous common plants and fungi can make you sick or kill you. Be absolutely sure of what you’re eating and, when gathering, ensure you leave enough not only to ensure the survival and growth of the species but also enough for others to enjoy, from the human and more-than-human communities. Also cultivate an awareness of contamination and pollution – wastewater runoff, spraying, exhaust fumes – as this should affect your decision to harvest.

The Plant

Berberis darwinii is a flowering and berry producing shrub in the Berberidaceae family. They are native to Chile and Argentina but have spread around the world, sometimes planted intentionally as hedging in places like the United Kingdom but are now considered invasive in Aotearoa. Berberis comes from the Arabic word “berbery” meaning “shell” in reference to barberries slightly curved, hollow leaves. Darwinii is named after Charles Darwin who “discovered” the plant in South America in 1835.

Description

Darwin’s barberry is a perennial evergreen shrub which will grow to around 4 metres tall. They have dense branches from the ground to the top. The trunk and branches are very yellow and hairy and have 5 very sharp thorns underneath each cluster of leaves. The leaves grow in dense clusters of 2-5 along the branches and are dark green, glossy, small, and oval-shaped and they are sharply serrated along the edge. The orange flowers grow in hanging clusters at the ends of the branches. The flowers are hermaphrodite and pollinated by insects, turn into green berries, and ripening slowly into round dark purple berries covered in a light “bloom”. Inside the berries is a large clump of several seeds.

Ecology

Berberis darwinii can be found blooming from August to February and fruiting from November to February. The flowers are pollinated by various insects and the seeds are dispersed by birds and possums. Darwin’s barberry grows prolifically in Aotearoa’s countryside in dry, damp, cold, warm, and windy areas. They also tolerate poor soil conditions and damage from grazing animals, hence why this plant is invasive.

Nutritional & Medicinal Information

Barberries contain an alkaloid called berberine (which gives the wood it’s yellow colour). This alkaloid significantly lowers blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol, and supports heart health.

Berberine is anti-inflammatory and has been proven to ease diarrhoea, food poisoning symptoms, urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal issues, and yeast infections.

Barberries are an anti-convulsant which can help with epilepsy and convulsions. Berberis is also high in vitamin C and all of these antioxidant properties could benefit cancer treatment and stimulate the immune system.

Possible Lookalikes

Common barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is the most well known barberry plant. It doesn’t look very much like Darwin’s barberry but is still very edible and medicinal in the same ways. The leaves are rounded and the berries are a bright red and oblong in shape.

Interesting Facts

The Ancient Egyptians used barberry and fennel to create a treatment for plagues and fevers.

In old folklore barberries were planted to ward off evil and to protect houses and people from their enemies.

Storage & Cooking

You can make medicinal berberine tinctures or powders out of the bark.

The berries can be dried or used fresh and are very bitter. The berries are high in pectins so work wonderfully for jam making. The berries can also be used in biscuits, cakes, wines, teas, syrups, and juices.

Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Further Reading

Mount Sinai

Indigo Herbs

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Weed Busters

iNaturalist