Barberry

The stems are tough and woody, with yellowish‑grey bark and very sharp spines where the leaves meet the stem. These spines can be single or three‑pronged and grow up to about 23 millimetres long, making the plant difficult to handle.

The leaves are thick and leathery, with variable shapes and spiny, serrated edges. They’re typically green through most of the year but often turn reddish in autumn.

In spring, common barberry produces clusters of strongly scented yellow flowers from October to November. These are followed in autumn by oval berries that ripen from March to May. The berries are reddish‑black with a dusty white coating and contain dark red juice.

Common barberry produces long‑lived seeds that can spread easily and remain viable in the environment. It’s a very hardy plant, tolerating a wide range of conditions - from hot to cool temperatures, damp to dry sites, strong winds, salty conditions, light shade, physical damage, and many different soil types. Because of this, it can establish in many places and is known to replace native plant species.

Birds, and possibly possums, eat the berries and spread the seeds over wide areas. Barberry can also spread through soil and water movement. Common seed sources include farm hedges, roadsides, old homesteads and plantation forests.

Seeding can vary a lot between plants. Some barberry shrubs produce large amounts of viable seed, while others produce very little or none at all, making infestations unpredictable and harder to manage.