Berberis glaucocarpa
Common name
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.
BERGLA
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Features
Glabrous, evergreen or semi-deciduous shrub to c. 7m high. Spines to 2.3 cm long, sometimes single, sometimes 3-partite. Lvs with short petiole to 5 mm long. Lamina up to 7.5 x 2.5 cm, oblanceolate but often very variable on one plant, spiny margins and shining above. Flowers yellow, sometimes with outer parts red-tinged, arranged in simple or compound racemes to 6 cm long. Berry 7-12mm long, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, reddish black, with an obvious white bloom. Juice dark red with seed about 1mm long.
Similar taxa
The combination of large spiny leaves, and 3-partite spines to 2.5 cm long distinguish B. glauccarpa from other berberis species naturalised in New Zealand. It also grows to about 7 m which is much taller than the other species.
Flowering
October, November
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Yellow
Fruiting
December, January, February
Year naturalised
1916
Origin
W Himalaya
Etymology
berberis: From the Arabic name berberys
Reason For Introduction
Ornamental
Life Cycle Comments
Perennial.
Reproduction
Seed.
Dispersal
Seed is dispersed by birds and vertebrates
Tolerances
Thought not to be as shade tolerant as other Berberis species. Requires moderate fertility.