Description

California’s barberries - around eight species - can be divided into two groups. One group is typified by Oregon grape, Berberis aquifolium, and is characterized by shiny, pliable, oval dark green leaves, blue berries and a preference for mild, moist growing sites. The other group is typified by Nevin’s barberry, Berberis nevinii, and is characterized by waxy, stiff, lance-shaped, blue-green leaves, red berries, and a preference for harsh, dry growing sites. Fremont Barberry is in this second group. It grows in woodlands and chaparral in sparsely scattered locations throughout the Southwest and northern Baja, Mexico. In California it is found in the Mojave Desert and the southeast corner of San Diego County. It grows as an open, rounded shrub with gray bark (at maturity) and gray-green leaves with spiny margins. Pendent clusters of yellow flowers appear in the spring, followed by berries somewhere between yellow and blue. The berries are tart, but edible. Plant this desert native in a sunny site with well-draining soil.