Barberry - Darwins
|
Berberis darwinii Barberry - Darwins Uses: |
B. darwinii was introduced to Western science in 1835 by Charles Darwin after he found it growing in South America during the voyage of the 'Beagle'. The berries of this species were consumed by prehistoric native peoples in the Patagonian region over millennia.
An thorny evergreen. The flowers are orange (true color not seen in the extreme close-up seen in the gallery below).
When fully ripe, the fruit loses most of its acidity and makes very pleasant eating. Birds love this fruit and will happily eat it all before it is fully ripe. If you want to experience the fully ripe fruit then it might be necessary to find ways of keep the birds off the plants.
page revision: 8, last edited: 29 Oct 2012 22:26
