Berberidaceae, the barberry family of the buttercup order (Ranunculales), comprising 14 genera and 701 species of perennial herbs and shrubs. Its members occur in most temperate regions of the world. Many of the shrub forms have spines or spiny-margined leaves. The form of the flower is highly variable.

The most important and largest genus is Berberis, with about 500 species, among which are many ornamentals, including the barberry. Other members of interest include heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica), often cultivated as an indoor pot plant; mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), a woodland wildflower; bishop’s hat (Epimedium), a long-lived perennial genus often cultivated as ground cover; twin leaf (Jeffersonia diphylla), a ground cover named for the U.S. president Thomas Jefferson; and Oregon grape (Mahonia), a genus of broad-leaved evergreen shrubs.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.

barberry, any of almost 500 species of thorny evergreen or deciduous shrubs constituting the genus Berberis of the family Berberidaceae, mostly native to the North Temperate Zone, particularly Asia. Species of Oregon grape, previously included in Berberis but now assigned to the genus Mahonia, are sometimes called barberry (see Oregon grape).

Plants of the genus Berberis 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. Yellow dyes are extracted from some South American and Asian barberry plants. Species of Berberis are used as a nectar source for honeybees in western Asia.

The American or Allegheny barberry (B. canadensis) is native to eastern North America. Japanese barberry (B. thunbergii) often is cultivated as a hedge or ornamental shrub for its scarlet fall foliage and bright-red, long-lasting berries. Several varieties with purple or yellow foliage, spinelessness, or dwarf habit are useful in the landscape. Another widely planted species is wintergreen barberry (B. julianae), an evergreen shrub with bluish black berries. The cultivation of certain barberry species is prohibited in some regions because they harbour one of the spore stages of the fungus that causes black stem rust of wheat.

Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap
Britannica Quiz
Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.