American barberry

American barberry (Berberis canadensis) is a native plant of Maryland and the southeast UShttp://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500225. It grows naturally in mountain and piedmont regions, particularly on rocky slopes, and is well-adapted to diverse conditions. This plant (or a varietal) is on Maryland's threatened listUSDA Plants Database, .
== Identification ==
The American barberry is a thorny deciduous shrub growing to about 6' tall. It has yellow flowers in May. Unlike the related but invasive Japanese barberry, the American barberry's flowers grow in stalk-like clusters called racemes. Around August, it has orange or red berries, which are ediblehttps://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Berberis+canadensis.
It is harder to distinguish from the invasive European barberry, but the European species has grey bark in second-year shoots while the American species has brown, red, or purple bark. The European plant's racemes tend to be bigger (10-20 flowers instead of 3-12), and its leaves have more teeth (16-30 instead of 2-12)http://ontariotrees.com/main/group.php?id=4.
== Cultivation ==
American barberry is rarely cultivated, and should not be grown near agricultural land, because it is a host of wheat leaf rust. Wild barberry is occasionally destroyed by the US government to prevent contamination of agricultural land.
Though it is adapted to hillsides, it is generally quite adaptable, growing well in many soil types. It does well in full sun or light shade. It grows as far south as Georgia and Alabama, and could continue to thrive here in the event of a increase in average temperature.
== Uses and Relationships ==
The berries are edible and a good source of vitamin C. They are tart, and in the modern era they are more commonly made into preserves than eaten raw.
== More Information ==
There is only minimal information in the Berberis canadensis profile in the USDA Plants Database. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) has a page for this genus with detailed range maps, including a range map for B. canadensis, showing it to be rare throughout Maryland. (BONAP range maps are copyrighted and should not be placed directly on our wiki.)
== References ==
Category:Berberis Category:Native shrubs Category:Maryland natives Category:Threatened or endangered natives Category:Edible natives Category:USDA native stubs