Central Asian barberry, Hillside plum, Black-fruited barberry
Berberis heteropoda
Family: Berberidaceae
What it is like
A shrub. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows 2 m high. The branches have spines 1-3 cm long. The leaves are broadly oval and 2-8 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The flowers are orange-yellow. They are fragrant. The fruit are round or oblong and 12 mm long. They are purple-black.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. In western China it grows on arid steppe lands between 900-3,200 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Central Asia, China, Russia, Tajikistan
How it is used for food
The mature fruit are gathered then dried and used to prepare a drink by boiling 31g of fruit in 4 cips of water and mixed with sugar. It is used as a tonic drink.
Edible parts
Fruit