Berberis vulgaris
Common name
European barbery
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.
BERVUL
Conservation status
Not applicable
Features
Small deciduous shrub to about 2m. Spines generally 3-partite. Petiole to about 1 cm lamina up to 8 x 2.5 cm, but generally much smaller than this. Leaves with obvious veins and serrulate margins. Medium yellow flowers in racemes. Berries ripening to crimson-scarlet, oblong and up to 11 mm long.
Similar taxa
Similar in general appearance to B. wilsonae, but B. vulgaris has petiolate leaves, with obvious veination and serrulate margins.
Flowering
October, November
Flower colours
Yellow
Year naturalised
1875
Origin
Europe
Etymology
berberis: From the Arabic name berberys
Reproduction
Seed and suckering.
Seed
prolific.
Dispersal
Birds, people