Darwin's barberry Berberis darwinii

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.

This plant is not typically grown on the East Coast.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  It can be weedy.

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.