Berberis aggregata
| Berberis aggregata | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 5' |
| Width: | 5' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Berberis aggregata (common name: salmon barberry)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, when it should germinate in late winter or early spring[1]. Seed from over-ripe fruit will take longer to germinate[1], whilst stored seed may require cold stratification and should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as possible[2]. The seedlings are subject to damping off, so should be kept well ventilated[3]. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame. If growth is sufficient, it can be possible to plant them out into their permanent positions in the autumn, but generally it is best to leave them in the cold frame for the winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, preferably with a heel, October/November in a frame[1].
Layering.
Cultivation: Prefers a warm moist loamy soil but it is by no means fastidious, succeeding in thin, dry and shallow soils[4][5]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in full sun or light shade[4][5].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus, especially the closely related B. wilsonae[6]. The true species is seldom seen in gardens, having been replaced with its hybrid progeny[7]. The seedling 'Sibbertoft Coral' is very closely related to B. aggregata and fruits well in Britain[4].
Plants can be pruned back quite severely and will resprout well from the base[5].
Range: E. Asia - W. China.
Habitat: Thickets and streamsides up to 2500 metres in Kansu and W. Szechwan[8][9].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked. A fairly acid lemony flavour, it can be eaten in quantity by those who like acid fruits - children seem particularly keen on it[K]. A very reliable cropper, the fruit is borne in abundance along the stems[6][K]. The fruit is about 7mm in diameter[5].
Medicinal: Berberine, universally present in rhizomes of Berberis species, has marked antibacterial effects. Since it is not appreciably absorbed by the body, it is used orally in the treatment of various enteric infections, especially bacterial dysentery[10]. It should not be used with Glycyrrhiza species (Liquorice) because this nullifies the effects of the berberine[10]. Berberine has also shown antitumour activity[10].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the root.
Pollinators: Insects, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Late Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Also Known As: B. geraldi
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Ahrendt, Leslie. Berberis and Mahonia. Journal of the Linnean Society, 1961.
- ↑ Wilson, Ernest and Charles Sargent. Plantae Wilsonianae.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.