Darwin's Barberry Seeds - Berberis Darwinii - Sweet, Tangy, and Perennial
Quantity: 5 Seeds
Darwins Barberry is a shrub in the Barberry family, Berberidaceae. It is native to South America, and has multiple uses. It produces very delicious and nutritious fruits that taste like blueberries with a tropical twist, the flowers are edible, and berberine (a very beneficial compound) can be extracted from its bark. The berries taste sweet, a little tart, and very refreshing. The berries can be enjoyed fresh or made into jam, jelly, cordial, or juice. The shrub produces an overabundance of gorgeous orange/yellow flowers, so is a major attractant for pollinators too. This is a very rare, underrated, and delicious fruit, and it makes an excellent addition to the garden or landscape.
The Berberine content in Darwins Barberry is quite high, and it's easy to gather enough bark and rhizome to extract through tincture. Berberine has strong antibacterial qualities, and is often used as part of a treatment for issues like inflammation, skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, urinary tract infections, diabetes, GI issues, weight loss, and more. The plant Goldenseal is well known for its berberine content. It became so popular that the plant was almost gathered to extinction in the wild, so is now mostly found in cultivated gardens. The berberine content in Darwins Barberry is arguably just as high as what's found in Goldenseal, so is a sustainable source of this wonderful compound.
Growing Instructions:
For best results, start Darwins Barberry seeds outdoors either directly or in pots about 1-2 weeks before the first frost; we start them here on the farm in mid October. The soil should be made moist, but not damp. Sow the seeds 1/8 inch below the soil surface. If the winter was cold enough, sprouts will emerge from the soil come next spring. Once germinated, and the first true leaf has formed, it's time to pot up to a larger container that contains a good quality potting soil if planted in a pot. If sown indoors, it is important to cold stratify the seeds for 12 weeks before sowing for best germination results. Some even say that the seeds germinate best once stratified for another 12 weeks after being at room temperature for a month after the first stratification. I have never found this to be necessary, but these seeds are a bit finicky to germinate. it is important to maintain optimal conditions throughout every step to ensure the best results. Transplant to their final location when the nighttime temperatures are consistently 6°C or higher; for us at the farm, this is around early April.
All seeds are organic and open pollinated.
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Growing Instructions
For best results, start Darwin's Barberry seeds outdoors either directly or in pots about 1-2 weeks before the first frost; we start them here on the farm in mid October. The soil should be made moist, but not damp. Sow the seeds 1/8 inch below the soil surface. If the winter was cold enough, sprouts will emerge from the soil come next spring. Once germinated, and the first true leaf has formed, it's time to pot up to a larger container that contains a good quality potting soil if planted in a pot. If sown indoors, it is important to cold stratify the seeds for 12 weeks before sowing for best germination results. Some even say that the seeds germinate best once stratified for another 12 weeks after being at room temperature for a month after the first stratification. I have never found this to be necessary, but these seeds are a bit finicky to germinate. it is important to maintain optimal conditions throughout every step to ensure the best results. Transplant to their final location when the nighttime temperatures are consistently 6°C or higher; for us at the farm, this is around early April.