Box-leaved barberry

Synonyms: Berberis antucoana C.K. Schneid., Berberis barilochensis Job, Berberis microphylla G. Forst., Berberis buxifolia var. antarctica C.K. Schneid., Berberis buxifolia var. gracilior Albov, Berberis buxifolia var. microphylla (G. Forst.) Speg., Berberis buxifolia var. nuda C.K. Schneid., Berberis buxifolia var. papillosa C.K. Schneid., Berberis buxifolia var. spinosissima Reiche, Berberis cuneata DC., Berberis dulcis Sweet, Berberis heterophylla Juss. ex Poir., Berberis heterophylla var. pluriflora Reiche, Berberis inermis Pers., Berberis marginata Gay, Berberis michay Job, Berberis parodii Job., small-leaved barberry, heterophyllous barberry, Magellan Barberry, Calafate Barberry, small-leaved barberry.

Box-leaved barberry – a species of evergreen shrubs in the genus Berberis (Berberis) of the family Berberidaceae. Naturally occurs in South America – Chile, Argentina, from the Strait of Magellan to Valdivia. It is a symbol of Patagonia (South America). It was introduced into cultivation at the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in the mid-19th century. In cultivation since 1826.

It is an evergreen shrub with a compact crown. Reaches 3 m in height. Shoots are pubescent, brown. Thorns up to 1.5 cm long, in groups of three.

Leaves elliptical, obovate or ovate in shape, with a cuneate base and an acute apex, entire-margined, up to 5 cm long, dark green in color.

Blooms in April. Flowers are bisexual, showy, yellow-orange in color, borne singly or in pairs on thin pedicels up to 2.5 cm long.

Fruits edible, nearly spherical, pink-red, at full ripeness dark blue, almost black, with a glaucous bloom, pleasantly aromatic and containing 1-2 seeds inside.

Varieties: Berberis buxifolia f. nana Mouillef., Berberis buxifolia f. pygmaea (Koehne) Usteri, Berberis buxifolia f. spinosissima Reiche, Berberis buxifolia f. Aureomarginata.

Hardiness zone: 4-8.

Site/exposure: winter-hardy, drought-tolerant. Undemanding regarding soil, can grow on poor soils. Performs well on dry and sandy soils. Prefers soil with neutral pH, but can also grow in more acidic conditions. Does not tolerate waterlogging. Prefers full sun.

Planting: planting is best carried out in spring or autumn. If soil acidity is above pH 7, liming the soil is recommended. Planting mix: peat, topsoil, humus, 400 g slaked lime (if pH>7) and 200 g wood ash. Planting hole dimensions: 40x40 cm. For solitary planting, spacing between plants should be 1.5-2 m. To create a hedge prepare a trench and place shrubs at a rate of 2 bushes per 1 linear meter.

Care: care consists of shallow loosening of the root circles and mulching. Watering is recommended at least once a week with 2-3 buckets per plant. In spring, one year after planting, nitrogen-containing fertilizers can be applied. Further nitrogen feeding is not carried out earlier than every 3-4 years.

Pruning: many species tolerate formative pruning well.

Propagation: produces abundant suckers from the stump. Also propagated by seeds, division of the shrub, and summer cuttings. Seeds require stratification immediately after collection. Can also be sown in autumn. Seeds are collected from September to November.

Diseases: bacterial canker, powdery mildew, Septoria leaf spot, leaf rust, infectious dieback of branches, Phyllosticta leaf spot, leaf spot.

Pests: barberry aphid, barberry sawfly, barberry fruit moth, leaf-eating insects.

Uses: A good nectar source. Fruits are eaten fresh and used for processing, and also in medicine. A red dye is obtained from the wood. In landscape design it is used in solitary and group plantings, as well as for creating hedges. Some cultivars can be grown in bonsai style.