Common Name:

General Information

Berberis lycium is a spiny, deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub with a spreading habit; it can grow up to 250cm tall[]. Plants up to 4 metres tall are reported in the Himalayas[].
An important herbal medicine in the Himalayas, the plant is commonly harvested from the wild and is traded in local markets. The fruits and leaves are also harvested for use as a food. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant contain the alkaloid berberine - this is most concentrated in the roots, stems and inner bark, and least concentrated in the fruits. In small quantities berberine has a range of effective medicinal applications but, in excess, can cause vomiting, lowered blood pressure, reduced heart rate, lethargy, and other ill-effects.
The fruit of most, if not all, members of this genus are more or less edible and can be eaten in quantity since the levels of berberine in the fruit are very low.

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal

Habitat

Shrubberies and open hillsides[, ], usually on hot dry slopes[], at elevations up to 3,000 metres. In Kashmir[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Berberis lycium is a fairly hardy plant, tolerating winter temperatures falling occasionally as low as -15°c, but it suffers some damage in long, severe winters[].
Prefers a warm moist loamy soil and light shade but it is by no means fastidious, succeeding in thin, dry and shallow soils[, ]. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[].
Plants can be pruned back quite severely, they resprout well from the base[].
Some Berberis species (especially Berberis vulgaris) harbour the black stem-rust fungus (Puccinia graminis Persoon). This is a major disease of wheat and barley crops and can spread from infected barberries to the grain crop. The sale or transport of susceptible or untested species of Berberis is illegal in the United States and Canada[]. This species has been found to be susceptible to the disease[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked and made into preserves[, , , , ]. Fairly juicy with a nice slightly acid flavour[]. The fruits are about 8mm long[].

Leaves and young shoots - cooked[, , ].
Leaves are a tea substitute[, ].

Medicinal

The roots are aperient, astringent, bitter tonic, carminative, diaphoretic, febrifuge and ophthalmic[, , , , , ]. They are used as a treatment for swollen and sore eyes, menorrhagia, gonorrhoea, chronic diarrhoea, piles, unhealthy ulcers, acute conjunctivitis, chronic ophthalmia and broken bones and wounds[, ]. The powdered roots, mixed with milk, are taken orally to treat rheumatic and muscular pains[].

The leaves have been used in the treatment of jaundice[].

A paste made from the fresh fruits is applied externally in order to treat wounds[].

The alkaloid berberine, which is universally present in the roots and stems of Berberis species, has marked antibacterial effects. Since it is not appreciably absorbed by the body, it is used orally in the treatment of various enteric infections, especially bacterial dysentery[].
It should not be used in combination with Glycyrrhiza species (Liquorice) because this nullifies the effects of the berberine[].
Berberine has also shown antitumour activity[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is traditionally grown in living fences in the northwestern Himalayas, where it helps to exclude livestock and other animals; mark out land boundaries; whilst also providing a range of medicinal and other uses[].

Other Uses

The roots and stems of all Berberis species contain alkaloids and, when cut open, are a strong yellow colour. This has been utilized by various cultures to make a yellow dye for cloth etc[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, when it should germinate in late winter or early spring[]. Seed from over-ripe fruit will take longer to germinate[], whilst stored seed may require cold stratification and should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as possible[]. The seedlings are subject to damping off, so should be kept well ventilated[]. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame. If growth is sufficient, it can be possible to plant them out into their permanent positions in the autumn, but generally it is best to leave them in the cold frame for the winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, preferably with a heel, autumn in a frame[].