Berberis darwinii - Darwins Berberis

Berberis darwinii - Darwins Barberry

Berberis darwinii often called Darwins berberis or barberry is one of the great all-round shrubs. Evergreen, prickly, clippable, flowering, scented - Berberis Darwinii has almost everything you could ask from a hedging plant. In addition it works as well as a specimen where it look sgood planted close against a wall or fence and where it will tolerate light shade. Scented orange/red flowers are carried in great clusters throughout spring, followed by edible purple berries in summer. The leaves of Berberis darwinii are holly-like in shape (although much smaller) dark shiny green, and the older foliage turns red in the autumn. Young and old the leaves are thorny enough to build an effective security hedge up to 2m tall.

Berberis darwinii was (unsurprisingly) discovered by Charles Darwin in 1835 during the second voyage of the Beagle.