darwin's barberry

[tozka]

Spotted this really pretty plant on my walk today! According to PlantNet it's a Darwin's Barberry.



From Wikipedia:

Berberis darwinii was discovered in South America in 1835 by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. It was one of many named in honour of Darwin. The berries of this species are known to have been consumed by prehistoric native peoples in the Patagonian region over millennia.

It is a popular garden and hedging shrub in the British Isles. The Royal Horticultural Society has given the species its Award of Garden Merit. The edible fruit is very acidic.

Comments

[turlough]

It's beautiful! I've never seen it here in Sweden. I wonder if our winters are too severe for it? I will definitely be on the lookout for it when I visit England (Norwich) in a couple of weeks.

[tozka]

I've never seen it before, either! It looks like there's barberry varieties all over Europe and the US (where I'm from), but perhaps this particular variety is more rare? I'm currently in Chichester, which is south and generally has milder weather (according to my friend who lives here, anyway). Perhaps that has something to do with it, too.