Review Notes: Berberis can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs with spiny shoots bearing simple, often spine-toothed leaves, and small yellow or orange flowers in axillary clusters or racemes, followed by small berries.
B. darwinii is a dense, medium-sized evergreen shrub, with dark glossy green, broadly oblong, sparsely-spined leaves, and drooping racemes of rich orange flowers, tinged red in bud, followed by blue-black berries.
Pruning
Winter, spring and early summer-flowering evergreens such as Rhododendron and Camellia are best left unpruned except for removal of unsightly shoots and deadheading, unless some shaping is required. Do this by lightly cutting back shoots after flowering. Deadheading and removal of dead, damaged and diseased growth can be done at the same time.
Certain evergreen shrubs require a harder prune to increase flowering or to maintain their attractive shape. Examples include groundcover such as Mahonia aquifolium and Hypericum calycinum which look best sheared over in spring.
Shrubs that get unkempt such as Santolina also look better if pruned to a compact shape or even sheared to ground level in spring
Pests Generally pest free.
Diseases May be infected by powdery mildews .
Toxicity Ingestion may cause mild stomach upset.
Soil Acid, Alkaline or Neutral. Moist but well-drained or well-drained. Chalk, Clay, Loam or Sand.
Aspect All aspects. Exposed or Sheltered.
Propagation Propagate by seed or from semi-hardwood cuttings.
Flowers: Orange and Red in Spring.
Foliage: Dark Green.
Fruits: Black and Blue/Glaucous in Summer.
Evergreen/Deciduous: Evergreen.
Suggested Plant Uses: Banks and Slopes, Coastal, Cottage/Informal Garden, Hedging/Screens or Low Maintenance
Supplied Height Approx 12" €1.95 + P&P
|
Plant Type:- Shrub
Colour:- Orange and Red in Spring
Flowering Period:- Feb to Apr
|
