BC Living
Spreads – From Scratch
You’ve Gotta Try This In May
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4 Tips on Balancing a Nutritious Diet with a Side of Indulgence
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
B.C. Adventures: Our picks for May
Spring into Fun in Kamloops: The Best Events in the City
7 BC Retreats Where Solo Travellers Can Find Inner Peace and Wellness
BC Distilled
Melodies and Museums: Solo-Friendly Entertainment for the Independent Traveller
Arts Club Theatre Company Celebrates 60 Years
BC-Based Gifts Perfect for Mom
SOLO CHIC: 5 Essential Pieces for the Stylish Solo Traveller
8 Gadgets and Gear for Your Solo Adventures
Tips on growing barberry shrubs in your garden.
A curiosity shared by all members of the barberry family is their “irritable” stamens. When touched with a pointed implement like the tip of a pencil, they recoil towards the centre of the flower. This clever device spreads more pollen onto the bodies of visiting bees and wasps, improving the plant’s chances of reproduction.
The name berberis or barberry sounds as though it refers to the spines, but is in fact derived from an Arabic word that refers to the fruit. A characteristic of the genus is the mustard-yellow pith revealed when the bark is peeled back or a stem is cut.
Deciduous barberries thrive and yield the best fall colours in full sun, although partial shade is kinder to the gold-leafed varieties, and deepens the colour of the purple ones. Evergreen barberries prefer dappled shade. All are slow growing, often taking a decade to reach their maximum size. This, combined with a naturally shapely habit, means they are rarely in need of pruning. However, if they are to be sheared into formal hedging, or need old growth removed, fall is the best time to tackle this chore on deciduous varieties; immediately after flowering is best for evergreens.