Mexican Barberry Berberis gracilis
Previously known as:
- Berberis aristata
- Berberis gracilis var. madrensis
- Mahonia gracilis
- Phonetic Spelling
- BER-ber-is GRASS-il-is
- Description
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Mexican Barberry is an evergreen perennial shrub native to Mexico in the barberry family (Berberidaceae).
The plant grows 6 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average well-drained soils and is drought-tolerant once established. It will spread by forming suckers and can also be propagated by seed.
The yellow flowers appear in clusters from fall through winter, providing 4 seasons of interest. The leathery glossy evergreen leaves are attractive all season. Edible purple-blue berries follow flowering.
Use this shrub as a hedge or in a drought-tolerant garden. It is bee and bird friendly.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Leaf spots, rust, and leaf scorch from sun/wind. Chlorosis on high pH soils. Barberry webworm, aphids, and scale can occasionally be problems.
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.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Berberis
- Species:
- gracilis
- Family:
- Berberidaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Used medicinally.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Mexico
- Wildlife Value:
- Bees are attracted to the flowers. Birds enjoy the fruits.
- Edibility:
- Not poisonous, but berries contain berberine that can cause stomach upset, especially with children.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Mounding
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- 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 Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Blue
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Description:
- Fruits are dark blue, smooth, and egg-shaped.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Winter
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Petals:
- 6 petals/rays
- Colored Sepals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Bright yellow flowers appear from late fall until early spring. Flowers are 6-parted, borne in an elongated raceme.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leathery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are pinnately compound with 4-7 pairs of leaflets plus a larger terminal leaflet, all lanceolate with teeth along the margins.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Hedge
- Security
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Problems:
- Spines/Thorns
