Berberis (genus)

Genus containing about 500 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs having thorny shoots, native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. They are closely related to the genus Mahonia, which is included within Berberis in some classifications. Berberis shrubs have yellow wood, yellow six-petaled flowers, and usually three-branched spines at the base of leafstalks. The fruit is a red, yellow, blue, purple, or black berry, with one to several seeds. The fruits of several species are made into jellies. The wood from the barberry stems and roots can be cooked in water to extract a strong yellow dye.