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OT: Berberis Darwinii Experience?

Anyone have experience with this?

Appears to be an effective hedge, prickly and thorned stems, very edible tart fruit, evergreen with vibrant flowers and fruit. I read something about it being a problem in New Zealand.

I bought some seeds since I could not find any plants domestically.

berberis darwinii flowers.jpg  berberis darwinii fruit.JPG 

http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Berberis+darwinii
http://www.greatplantpicks.org/plantlists/view/220
http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/product_45735.html


Never heard of it, but those flowers are really striking!

Thanks for the reply. I read where it was naturalized in Memphis and a few other places. Hopefully I will be as successful starting from seed as I was wiith this as my Japanese Raisin Tree, another variety I couldn't find.

Just be careful...nearly all barberry species are invasive.

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  • Sas

Nice! Wondering if these flowers come in different colors.

Looks beautiful! I have no idea but the Iranian seedless barberry Berberis integerrima  is delicious!!! It is dried and used widely in rice, has an powerful acidic kick and adds a vibrant red color to rice. 

http://emeraldboy69.persiangig.com/pishbar-pic/zereshk%20(6).jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uk9R8SAqWsk/TGdWKFlDpEI/AAAAAAAABNs/OmUw7Gfq-U0/s1600/7.jpg


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  • Sas

Do you think that Berberis integerrima and

Berberis vulgaris are the same plant? http://iran-plants.com/berberis/

But there is a Video that has it with different flower colors




Not the same but similar. Intergerrima fruit has more sugar content:

http://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/jfps/article/view/1846

It seems any plant with too many positive attributes over those around it is invasive. I have autumn olive which is invasive. I planted several along a fence a couple years ago and I'm very happy with it.

Berberis Darwinii is considered invasive, but I'm not sure why after reading the following info found here:

http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=1622&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN
Berberis darwinii exists as varying habits in New Zealand from shrubs with interlaced branches, reaching 3-4m in height and 3-6m wide in the open and at the forest edge to lianoid small trees growing to about 10m and spreading 15m under the forest canopy. Dispersal is key to B. darwinii's survival. Introduced bird species act as dispersers in New Zealand. Despite being considered a shade-tolerant species it has been shown that B. darwinii actually requires high light environments to germinate. It is tolerant of both frost and drought.Description
Berberis darwinii exists as varying habits in New Zealand, from shrubs with interlaced branches, reaching 3-4m in height and 3-6m wide in the open and at the forest edge to lianoid small trees growing to about 10m and spreading 15m under the forest canopy (Allen & Wilson, 1992). Dispersal is key to Berberis darwinii's survival as shown by MacAlpine & Jesson (2008). They found great numbers of seeds dispersed at least 150m, with others also being consistantly detected up to 450m away from the parent population. This was further shown in their study with seedling survival; nearly all seedlings under the parent population died within the first 5 months of germination. Despite being considered a shade-tolerant species (Webb et al 1988), MacAlpine & Jesson (2008) and MacAlpine et al (2008) have shown that B. darwinii actually requires high light environments to germinate. It is tolerant of both frost and drought (Allen 1991; Timmins & Mackenzie 1995; as seen in MacAlpine & Jesson, 2007)

IMG_1406.jpg 

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  • Sas

Would you cook and treat the berries of Berberis Darwinii in a similar fashion (with rice) as with Berberis integerrima  ?

Those sound good!

Scarified a couple seeds with a nail file since the bag said up to 12 months to germinate. Also soaking a couple Acacia Xanthophloea for starting. Just clipped the edge on those. Bought a berberis darwinii plant also.

My Acacia Xanthophloea seedlings and a seed from fruit I had eaten. Not sure if it is wild Chickasaw Plum or Shaanxi Li Jujube/Hong Zao.
s. IMG_1472.jpg  IMG_1481.jpg 


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