Berberis vulgaris 

'European Barberry'

Berberidaceae: Small, deciduous shrub to 2m, with grooved twigs and 3-folked prickles. Found in hedgerows and scrub, mainly on calcareous soils. the flowers are small, yellow, in hanging clusters from May-June. The fruits are ovoid and reddish. The leaves are sharp-toothed and oval. A scarce native to Britain.

USES:

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. Rich in vitamin C, the fruit has a very acid flavour and is mainly used in preserves, though children and some adults seem to like it raw when it is fully ripe. A refreshing lemon-like drink can be made from the fruit. The dried young leaves and shoot tips make a refreshing tea.

Barberries have long been used as an herbal remedy for the treatment of a variety of complaints. All parts of the plant can be used though the yellow root bark is the most concentrated source of active ingredients. The plant is mainly used nowadays as a tonic to the gallbladder to improve the flow of bile and ameliorate conditions such as gallbladder pain, gallstones and jaundice. The bark and root bark have antiseptic, astringent, cholagogue, hepatic, purgative, refrigerant, stomachic and tonic properties.

Prefers a warm moist loamy soil but it is by no means fastidious, succeeding in thin, dry and shallow soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in full sun or light shade but requires a moist soil when grown in the shade of trees.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Berberis seeds have a deep dormancy within them, this requires a degree of patience to overcome and it is usually quite easy to get high levels of germination if the correct procedures are followed.

First prepare a free draining substrate into which the seeds are to be mixed, this can be a 50/50 mixture of compost and sharp sand, or perlite, vermiculite or even just pure sharp sand has worked well for me. The chosen substrate needs to be moist (but not wet), if you can squeeze water out of it with your hand it is too wet and your seeds may drown and die. Mix the seeds into the substrate, making sure that there is enough volume of material to keep the seeds separated. Place the seed mixture into a clear plastic bag (freezer bags, especially zip-lock bags are very useful for this -provided a little gap is left in the seal for air exchange) If it is not a zip-lock type bag it needs to be loosely tied. Then write the date on the bag so that you know when the pre-treatment was started.

The seeds require a cold period to break the dormancy that is naturally found within them, this is easily achieved by placing the prepared bag of seeds and compost mix in the fridge (4°C) for between 6 and 10 weeks. It is quite possible for the seeds to germinate in the bag at these temperatures when they are ready to do so, if they do, just remove them from the bag and carefully plant them up. Seeds that are ready to germinate will have become plump and soft. For small quantities I tend to just leave the seeds in the fridge and remove the germinated ones as they arise and plant them up. I find that this way you can get the maximum number to germinate. After a few months any remaining un-germinated seeds can have the cold pre-treatment process repeated again- several times if necessary. For larger quantities it is easiest to sow the seeds in a well prepared seedbed once the cold pre-treatment has finished and wait for the seeds to germinate. Seeds that are ready to germinate will be plump and soft, if they are not, the pre-treatment is not yet complete or has been ineffective due to incorrect temperatures or incorrect moisture content of the pre-treatment medium.

It has also been found that fluctuating pre-treatment temperatures can give the best germination results and I have myself had excellent results by keeping the mixed seeds in a cold shed through the winter for the cold stage of their pre-treatment and allowing the temperature to fluctuate naturally.

Do not expose newly sown seeds to high temperatures (above 25°C) otherwise a secondary dormancy may be induced and the seeds will not germinate until they have been pre-treated again. Germinated seeds can be planted in deep pots or plug trays in a good quality compost. Keep the seedlings well-watered and weed free. Growth in the first year is usually between 5 and 15cm and usually trouble free. Growth accelerates rapidly in the second year. Allow them to grow for 1 or 2 years before planting them in a permanent position.

HARVESTED: 

 
APPROX. 35+ SEEDS