Berberis darwinii
Common name
Darwin’s barberry
Family
Berberidaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
BERDAR
Habitat
Terrestrial. A lowland plant. Plant occurs in sites with low-moderate fertility. Plant found in low forest, scrub, forest margins and shrublands. Plant found in remnant forest stands, scrub, along forest and plantation margins, roadsides in Chile (Webb, Sykes and Garnock-Jones 1988). Plant found in forest margins, secon-growth bush, scrub, plantations and roadsides.
Features
Spiny evergreen shrub up to about 4m tall. The leaves are a dark glossy green and are stiff up to 3.5 by 1.5 cm with 3-5 spiny points. Spines beneath each leaf are palmate with 5 points. Flowers are orange-yellow held in a raceme and the berries are dark purple to black with a bluish white waxy bloom.
Similar taxa
Can be distinguished from other Berberis species in New Zealand by the 5-partite spines beneath the leaves.
Flowering
July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February
Flower colours
Orange, Yellow
Fruiting
November-February
Life cycle
Perennial. Seeds germinate in September and the plant regenerates from root suckers, layers and crown. Can reproduce both sexually and asexually (Keller, 1983). Soil bank does not survive beyond the first season (Atkinson 1997). Seed is produced at approximately 15 000/m squared ground projection. Seeds are not viable after the first season and are dispersed by vertebrates; birds and possums.
Year naturalised
1946
Origin
South Chile, Argentina
Reason for introduction
Ornamental.
Control techniques
Disposal Method - replant bare sites to minimise seeding. Preferred Control - cut stem and apply vigilant as per the label. Can be done all year round. Alternative Control - stump swab: Escort label rates or Tordon Brush Killer, 10%.
Tolerances
The plant has a high tolerance of shade (McQueen 1993), drought and frost and is only slightly tolerant of poor drainage. After physical damage and grazing resprouting occurs from all parts.
Etymology
berberis: From the Arabic name berberys