Berberis buxifolia

Evergreen shrub reaching 2.5 m tall by 3 m wide, growing to hardiness zone 5. Flowers in April with hermaphroditic, self-fertile blooms. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils including nutritionally poor conditions. Adapts to mildly acid, neutral, or basic soils. Grows in semi-shade or full sun with dry or moist soil tolerance.

Description

An evergreen shrub. It loses its leaves in cold winters. It is erect and grows 2.4 m high. It spreads 3 m wide. The branches arch over. The leaves are dark green. The leaves are narrowly oval and have a spine at the end. The flowers are deep orange-yellow. They are in the axils of upper leaves. They can be single or in pairs. The fruit are dark purple or black. They are 8 mm across. Probably now Berberis microphylla.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Fruit - raw or used in conserves. Freely borne in Britain. Large and black with a pleasant flavour, they are eaten out of hand. Said to be the best flavoured of the South American barberries, the fruit is hardly acid and but slightly astringent. The green unripe fruits can be used like gooseberries in pies etc. The fruits are about 8mm long.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. The fruit can be used for pies and tarts.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Antibacterial Cancer Dysentery Berberine, universally present in rhizomes of Berberis species, has marked antibacterial effects. Since it is not appreciably absorbed by the body, it is used orally in the treatment of various enteric infections, especially bacterial dysentery. It should not be used with Glycyrrhiza species (Liquorice) because this nullifies the effects of the berberine. Berberine has also shown antitumour activity.

Distribution

Plants are cold hardy. They can tolerate temperatures down to -15°C. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.

Where It Grows

Argentina, Australia, Britain, Chile, Europe, South America*,

Cultivation

Prefers a warm moist loamy soil and light shade but it is by no means fastidious, succeeding in thin, dry and shallow soils and in full sun. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are hardy to about -15°c, but they can be deciduous in cold winters. The dwarf B. buxifolia nana is the form of this species that is most commonly found growing in Britain. It is very free flowering but to date (1994) we have not seen this form bearing fruit. The species is supposed to be self-fertile so it is possible that this form is sterile. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Plants can be pruned back quite severely and resprout well from the base.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, when it should germinate in late winter or early spring. Seed from over-ripe fruit will take longer to germinate, whilst stored seed may require cold stratification and should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as possible. The seedlings are subject to damping off, so should be kept well ventilated. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame. If growth is sufficient, it can be possible to plant them out into their permanent positions in the autumn, but generally it is best to leave them in the cold frame for the winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Roots in 4 - 8 weeks. Pot up in spring. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, preferably with a heel, October/November in a frame.

Other Uses

Dye Hedge Hedge A yellow dye is obtained from the root. The dwarf form, var. 'Nana' makes a good dwarf hedge to 1 metre tall. Special Uses Food Forest Hedge Hedge

Other Information

It is a cultivated food plant.

Notes

There are about 450-500 Berberis species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Calafate, Michay

References (15)

• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 57
• Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 170
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 229
• Diaz-Betancourt, M., et al, 1999, Weeds as a future source for human consumption. Rev. Biol. Trop. 47(3):329-338
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 48

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