Berberis canadensis
| Berberis canadensis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 6' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Berberis canadensis (common name: allegheny 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].
Cultivation: Prefers a warm moist loamy soil but 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].
The plant is an alternate host of 'black stem rust' of cereals and so it is often grubbed out when growing wild in cereal-producing areas.
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[6].
Plants can be pruned back quite severely and resprout well from the base[5].
Range: Eastern N. America - Virginia to Georgia, Alberta and Indiana.
Habitat: Banks of streams and dry woods[4][7]. In woods or glades, on rocky slopes and near rivers at elevations of 100 - 700 metres[8].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked. Agreeably acid[9][10][11][12][13], they are an acceptable raw fruit in small quantities but are more commonly used in preserves[14][K]. The fruits are about 9mm long[5].
Leaves - raw. A trailside nibble[15].
Flowers[15]. No more details.
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[16]. It should not be used with Glycyrrhiza species (Liquorice) because this nullifies the effects of the berberine[16]. Berberine has also shown antitumour activity[16].
A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of fevers and diarrhoea[17].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the root.
Pollinators: Insects, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Also Known As: B. angulizans.
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.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Flora of North America.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Kavasch, Barrie. Native Harvests. Vintage Books, 1979.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.