Plant Profile: Berberis gracilis

Names

Mexican Barberry

  • Photo of Berberis gracilis (Berberis graciliss)

Phonetic Spelling:BER-ber-is GRASS-il-is

Genus:Berberis

Species:gracilis

Family:Berberidaceae

Mexican Barberry is a perennial shrub indigenous to Mexico, characterized by its shiny, leathery foliage and vibrant lemon-yellow blooms, which give way to abundant blue berries. This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and demonstrates drought resistance once it is well-established. It blooms from fall into winter, adding visual appeal to the landscape during those seasons.

Berberis gracilis Feature Summary

Berberis gracilis Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#fall flowers
#perennial
#wildlife plant
#yellow flowers
#winter interest
#spines
#glossy leaves
#blue fruits
#leathery leaves
#evergreen shrub
#early spring flowers
#winter flowers

Similar Plants

Berberis gracilis Feature Summary

Attributes
Fruit
Smooth elliptical blue fruits
Flowers
Bright yellow flowers appear from late fall until early spring.
Gold/Yellow
Spring
Fall
Winter
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
11a
11b
Leaves
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Border
Hedge
Security
Songbirds
Bees
Spines/Thorns

Berberis gracilis Attributes

Berberis gracilis: Country Or Region Of Origin

Mexico

Berberis gracilis: Wildlife Value

Birds enjoy the fruits.

Berberis gracilis: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Berberis gracilis: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Berberis gracilis Fruit

Berberis gracilis: Fruit Description

Smooth elliptical blue fruits

Berberis gracilis: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Berberis gracilis: Fruit Color

grass
Blue

Berberis gracilis: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Berberis gracilis Flowers

Berberis gracilis: Flower Description

Bright yellow flowers appear from late fall until early spring.

Berberis gracilis: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow

Berberis gracilis: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Berberis gracilis: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Berberis gracilis Whole Plant Traits

Berberis gracilis: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Berberis gracilis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Berberis gracilis: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Berberis gracilis: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Berberis gracilis: Appendage

Prickles
Spines
Tendrils
Thorns

Berberis gracilis Cultural Conditions

Berberis gracilis: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Berberis gracilis: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Berberis gracilis: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Berberis gracilis: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
11a
thermostat
11b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Berberis gracilis Leaves

Berberis gracilis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Berberis gracilis: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Berberis gracilis: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Berberis gracilis: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Berberis gracilis Stem

Berberis gracilis: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Berberis gracilis Landscape

Berberis gracilis: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Berberis gracilis: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Berberis gracilis: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Berberis gracilis: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Berberis gracilis: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy