It's time to post for our host Carol of Garden Bloom Day. A day that the garden blogging community share with viewers on the 15th of every month what's blooming in their gardens.
Here in the Northeast zone 5b, plants are all sleeping awaiting springs arrival so no blooms to show, but here are a few pictures of my beautiful Barberry. ( Berberis thunbergii) "It's a thorny devil," and I once thought about removing it.
Thanks to it's thorniness my desire to remove it was put off until I forgot to remove it all together.. I'm now thankful that I forgot, because its gorgeous Red berries add color and texture to what is now a colorless winter scene. Winter snow would have made a striking back ground and photo for this shrub but it has not snowed here in Michigan yet.
Here's a little History about the Barberry shrub I thought I would share with you. The Barberry is associated with the Berbers, who cultivated it on the African cost of Barbary.
The Moonshine Designs Nursery located in Milan, Illinois, discovered that Hummingbirds, like to nest in their barberry shrubs for they have found small walnut size nest in their nursery plants from time to time.
It makes an excellent protective hedge..I can attest to that, and deers will not touch it.
They are often used to hold slopes and banks.
They are used in making candles because of their scent.
The ripe fruits are used to make jelly, uumm ..now that's very interesting and something that I must investigate.
In India they are dried and eaten like raisins.
It's Medicinal...it has a high concentration of berberine a hormonal substance that fights diseases and infections and is used by naturopaths to treat dysentery.
Wow! and I once thought that this was just a pretty bush of thorns that I found annoying, I have certainly change my views about it.
If some of you crafty bloggers out there have made scented Candles or Jelly from this shrub, please write me about it. I would love to hear from you and thanks for stopping by my blog.
Barberry is not something I've ever planted. Thank you for all the facts about this plant with the lovely berries.
ReplyDeleteHappy Bloom Day
Jean Thank you for stopping by my blog I hope you come again.
ReplyDeleteMore nice berries! I think my garden needs berries, I have none.
ReplyDeleteHi Vetsy, that's one huge barberry! I too have and love this plant, but it can be invasive, especially if you live near a natural area. In fact, it's on the city of Ann Arbor's invasives plant list. I removed two of mine, but have two more. I figure, given all the buckthorn I've removed, we'll call it even! :)
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ReplyDeleteHello, Dan Nice to meet you and Thanks for stopping by my blog.
ReplyDeleteMonica thank you for stopping by and leaving helpful tips and info. I didn't know that barberry was invasive, nor did I know that it was on Ann Arbor's invasive list..Goood info Thanks Monica.
Nice story about this shrub. I happened to almost step on a seedling of it on a path in my garden this morning. Only two inches tall, but very bright red. It will have to be transplanted, because thorns in my foot is not something I look forward to :-)
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you .. Yes you are right about tranplanting them in an area where you won't get injured!
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how many times I got thorns in my foot and scracthed my arms and legs trying to cut grass or clean debris around them.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Vetsy girl ! Thank you for your well wishes on my dental adventure ! very much appreciated : )
ReplyDeleteI have two golden barberry (I could dig up the exact cultivar but my brains are still questioning the use of the nitrous oxide incident ? LOL) In any case they are gorgeous little shrubs that turn amazing colours in the Autumn .. and LOOK at your beautiful red one !!
Firethorn was one scary walled shrub we had in Holland .. I was an uninformed gardener then and had the landlord take it out .. the thorns were like daggers .. then I regretted it because it was home to so many small birds ... I just didn't know enough back then !
All your information is perfect to read : )
Yes, Golden barberry is lovely too, "Daggers is certainly a good word to use when describing the thorns of barberry! LOL!
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