74 



IRISH GARDENING 



The Barberries. 



The common barberry, botanically known as 

 Berberis vulgaris, has long found a plate in our 

 shrubberies and woodlands, and when thickly 

 clothed with its pendulous racemes of red fruits 

 in autumn is a very attractive object. Formerly 

 a decoction of the bark was frequently used as a 

 cure for jaundice, and even now requests for a 

 few twigs of barberry are not infrequent, and 

 quite recent cases are known of a cure being 

 effected after a course of treatment under a doctor 

 had failed. The purple-leaved form of Un- 

 common species has been largely used in orna- 

 mental planting, and when carefully placed among 

 other shrubs it is capable of a good effect. Like 

 most other ' : coloured " leaved shrubs, however. 

 it has been frequently planted to excess, tin- 

 effect being thereby spoiled. Of recent years 

 there has been some notable additions to the 

 genus, principally from China, and at the presenl 

 time there is still a number of unidentified kinds 

 in cultivation which promise to be attractive 

 shrubs when fully developed. 



Botanists just at present include the well-known 

 evergreen " Mahonia " under Berberis, but for 

 garden purposes we. may consider them apart. 



The true Barberries may be divided into two 

 sections — viz., evergreen and deciduous, and 

 differ from "Mahonia" in having simple not 

 pinnate leaves. 



The value of the more blight ly-flowered species 

 for ornamental planting can hardly be over 

 mated, while so great is the range in height 

 and habit that there are few positions of any 

 worth that cannot be suitably planted with one 

 .species or another. 



Although not calling for any elaborately pre- 

 pared soil, good cultivation will be amply repaid 

 in flowers end foliage. 



ply all the Barberries are spiny, though 

 some are less conspicuously so thai, others. 

 Though m in very common use ; is hedge plants, 



i hei .■ ies winch mighl he used h 



this way with very good effect. There are a ■ 

 huge number of species and varieties, some of 

 which are not iportanl outside of iazge 



ens ati'.'. ; ' ; "iis. Jn the following 



enumeration only Tin- more showy and useful 

 kinds are mentioned: — 



Berberis buxifolia, . Chilian species, is perhaps 

 best described as sub- evergreen, since it loses a 

 good many leaves in winter due, no doubt, to its 

 coming from a fail intry. When well 



grown it forms a handsome shrub with its dark 

 green box-like leaves and yellow flowers. The 

 dwarf variety nana is more nearly evergreen in t In- 

 ordinary sense, and maies a useful rockery subject . 



B. Darwir.ii is perhaps the lines) April flower- 

 ing shrub we have, and although, like the last 

 specie-, hailing from Chili, seems perfectly hardy 

 in all parts of the British Islands. This is a 

 strong-growing species, which will reach a height 

 of (J to 8 feet, and is a magnificent object when 

 in (lower. What may he taken as a typical form 

 has small, rather holly-like leaves and racemes 

 of deep orange flowers, often followed in autumn 

 by a crop of blue berries. Seedling from these 

 fruits vary a good deal, some having narrower 

 less spiny leaves and yellow, rather than reddish 

 orange flowers. Of this species there is. too, a 

 dwarf form. 



B. acuminata, from Yunnan, is a handsome 

 species, with rather long lance-shaped Leaves, 



which are sharply toothed, and often turn 

 crimson in winter. 



B. candidula is now the name by which B. 

 Wallichiana hypoleuca is known. It is a rather 

 dwarf, low-growing shrub, with dark glossy green 

 spiny leaves, which are glaucous on the under 

 surface. It makes a useful shrub for rockwork. 



B. empetrifolia, a Chilian species, forms a 

 pretty shrub, with slender branches and small 

 Crowberry-like leaves. The small yellow flowers 

 are not striking, but the general aspect of the 

 plant is decidedly attractive. There is a red 

 stemmed variety known as rubricaulis, well 

 worth a place in the rock garden. 



B. Gfagnepainii, a new Chinese species, with 

 fairly long lance-shaped leaves, having spiny 

 margins. The flowers are yellow, borne on 

 reddish stalks. Of erect habit, this looks like 

 making an ornamental shrub, and is said to reach 

 a height of ii feet . 



B. ilicifolia, from Terra del Puego, is attractive 

 in its glaucous green holly-like leaves. It is 

 evergreen, or nearly so, in sheltered warm places, 

 but in colder localities loses most ol its leaves in 

 winter. A rather similar plant which often does 

 duty for the previous species is B. Neuberti, 

 which is really a hybrid between the common 

 " Mahonia " and tin- common Barberrv . 



B. sanguinea is a dwarf-growing Mongolian 

 species, with fairly long, narrow spiny leaves 

 and reddish-yellow flowers. It is a neat plant, 

 and suits the rock garden, where it can be seen 

 to advantage. 



B. stenophylla, a hybrid between l>. empetii- 



folia and B. Darwinii, is perhaps the mist 



beautiful and useful of all the Barberries. It is 



perfectly hardy, quite evergreen, and flowers 



profusely with, unfailing regularity. At its best 



it will reach a height of about 5 feet, forming 



graceful pendulous branches, clothed with small 



dark-green leaves and bearing in April a mass 



of orange-yellow flowers. For specimen beds. 



groups in the shrubberies or for furnishing sunny 



slopes, this is a magnificent shrub, and should 



tainly lie in every collection, 'flu-re are 



rever.., varieties, notably latil'olia. which has 



kves than the type, and is stiffer in habit. 



jood specimen too. 



!>. stenophylla corallina is a striking variety, 

 the buds being quite scarlet, the flowers opening 

 a deep rich yellow : gracilis is a graceful form 

 with small leaves and abundance of (lowers: 

 Irwinii is a dwarf shrub for the rock garden, of 

 compact growth, and flowering freely: reflexa 

 is also comparatively dwarf, and makes a pretty 

 shrub. Other forms are brilliant, electa and 

 diversifolia, tin- latter having both spiny and 



Spineless leaves. 



B. subcauliata is a new species, with rather 



small leaves, glaucous below. The branches are 

 densely spiny, growing about :; feet high in the 

 specimens at presenl under observation. 



I!, verruculosa. from \\ . China, is a dense low- 

 growing species, with flossy dark-green leaves, 

 having spiny margins. The (lowers are golden 

 j ellow, followed by blackish fruits. 



B. Wilsonae is now an established favourite in 

 all gardens where shrubs are esteemed. Intro- 

 duced from China some years ago by Messrs. 

 .lames Veitch, it was named after Mrs. Wilson. 

 wile o|' 1 he well-known collector. It forms a 

 dwarf diffusely branched shrub, with small leaves 

 and many spines. The flowers are golden 

 yellow, followed in autumn by masses of pinkish. 

 white berries. The leaves turn ruddy red in 



