Berberis vulgaris
Berberis vulgaris
Safety & Hazards
All parts of the plant contain the alkaloid berberine - this is most concentrated in the roots, stems and inner bark, and least concentrated in the fruits. In small quantities berberine has a range of effective medicinal applications but, in excess, can cause vomiting, lowered blood pressure, reduced heart rate, lethargy, and other ill-effects. The fruit of most, if not all, members of this genus are more or less edible and can be eaten in quantity since the levels of berberine in the fruit are very low.
Botanical Description
Berberis vulgaris is an erect, spiny, deciduous shrub, much-branched from the base; it can grow 100 - 300cm tall, though exceptional specimens up to 6 metres have been recorded[ 11 Title Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Publication Author Bean. W. Publisher Murray Year 1981 ISBN - Description A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures. , 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. Plants produce suckers and can form thickets[ 1050 Title Fire Effects Information System Publication Author Website http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants ]. The plant has a long history of use as a food and a medicine. Modern tastes are less attracted to the acid-tasting fruits than previous generations, though the plant is still commonly used in herbal medicine. The plant was at one time often grown as a fruit crop, it is still cultivated for ornamental purposes, often being used to make a hedge. Berberis vulgaris was at one time often cultivated as a fruit crop and plants were taken by Europeans to various other countries. It found N. America very much to its liking and the plant soon escaped from cultivation and spread widely, especially on the eastern side of the continent. It is now generally considered to be a noxious weed, especially since it can harbour the rust fungus of cereal crops[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. , 1050 Title Fire Effects Information System Publication Author Website http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants ].