Berberis darwinii
NPPA pest plant
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
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
Conservation status
Not applicable
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.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
UPL: Obligate Upland
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands (non-wetlands).
Detailed description
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
darwinii: After Charles Robert Darwin (1809 – 1882) an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology.
National Pest Plant Accord species
This plant is listed in the 2020 National Pest Plant Accord. The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an agreement to prevent the sale and/or distribution of specified pest plants where either formal or casual horticultural trade is the most significant way of spreading the plant in New Zealand. For up to date information and an electronic copy of the 2020 Pest Plant Accord manual (including plant information and images) visit the MPI website.
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for February 2005 for the full story.