Berberis vulgaris
Common barberry
Common names: Barberry, Sourthorn, Vinegarberry
Photo: Stefan.lefnaer · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The barberry is a thorny shrub whose bright red, elongated berries taste pleasantly sour and are popular dried as a fine ingredient in rice dishes and muesli. Only the ripe fruit is edible raw; the rest of the plant parts are inedible. It is a host plant for wheat stem rust, so it should not be planted near grain fields or rye cover crops.
Care instructions
Plant the barberry in autumn (October, week 42) in a sunny, relatively dry spot with calcareous soil. Keep it away from grain crops, as it can transmit stem rust. It is low‑maintenance and tolerant of pruning. Harvest the berries in September when fully ripe; a frost will mellow them. Prune the thorny shrub in late winter with sturdy gloves.
Companion planting
Rather not
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