The Darwin barberry is a broadleaf evergreen shrub in the barberry family (Berberidaceae) native to South America. Charles Darwin collected this plant on his voyage of the Beagle and sent the specimen to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where William Hooker named the species after Darwin. It has a fountain-like, densely branched form, showy yellow-orange flowers and grows to a height of 10 feet. Plant this easy to grow shrub in the full sun to partial shade in average well-drained soils. It will withstand more shade but will have a more open habit and less flowering. Once it is established, it can be quite drought and heat tolerant and it is resistant to browsing by deer. To maintain its shape, prune it only to remove dead, broken or poorly formed branches. However, it is rhizomatous, so it sprouts from its base, and it can form a thicket or be pruned into a privacy hedge. Prolific orange-yellow flowers begin in spring in large clusters and are followed by purplish berries. The leaves are spiny and similar to hollies. Plant as a specimen, in borders or as a hedge in pollinator, drought-tolerant or winter gardens. Appropriate for coastal gardens. This shrub will grow best in the Pacific states. See native alternatives to the left. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It can be weedy and is considered invasive in CA and other countries. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Berberis .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Dense
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery; Prickly
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Simple, alternate, dark green above light yellow-green below leathery spiny serrate margin. The toothed leaves resemble holly.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Showy, prolific orange buds burnished with red erupt into orange-yellow flowers in 5" clusters starting in the early spring. May rebloom in the fall. Individual flowers have six petal-like sepals in 2 rows and six petals
Bloom time
Fall; Spring
Fruit color
Blue; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Dark blue berry round, waxy
Stem color
Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Red branches are dense with 3-7 parted thorns.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Chile, Argentina
Wildlife value
Bees and butterflies are attracted to the flowers, birds are attracted to the fruits.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Not poisonous, but berries contain berberine that can cause stomach upset, especially with children.