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Darwin's barberry (Berberis darwinii)

Darwin's barberry is an introduced, naturalised shrub recorded in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. It can form dense, thorny thickets that displace other plants and make movement through infested areas difficult.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: Southern Chile and Argentina.

Established in: NSW, VIC, TAS, SA.

Other names: Berberis, Darwin's berberis.

Best time to act: The evergreen leaves make plants detectable year-round, while spring flowers and summer berries help locate them; treat before berries mature where possible.

Identification

  • An evergreen, branched shrub that can grow to about 4 metres tall, with stems and branches bearing fine rust-coloured hairs.
  • Its thick, glossy dark-green leaves have a pale underside, holly-like shape and sharp tips; leaves grow in clusters of 3 to 7 above five-pronged spines.
  • Bright orange to yellow flowers with nine petals hang in clusters, usually in spring.
  • Oval berries contain many small seeds and turn waxy blue-black as they mature.
  • Look-alike: Other barberries and spiny, holly-leaved shrubs may look similar; the combination of clustered leaves, five-pronged spines, drooping orange-yellow flower clusters and blue-black berries helps distinguish it.

Where it grows

In Australia it grows in varied settings, including forest and scrub margins, riparian areas, disturbed sites and pasture, with Tasmanian populations reported in the north-east and around Mount Wellington.

Why it matters

  • Dense, interlacing growth can form impenetrable thickets and exclude other plants, with potential to replace native species in forest and heath communities.
  • Its fruit may alter animal feeding patterns, and its long-lived seed and long lifespan can help it persist in natural environments.
  • In pasture and along riparian areas, infestations can hinder the movement of stock, vehicles and people.
  • Sharp spines can injure people and animals.

How it spreads

  • Birds disperse the seeds, and successful germination does not require seeds to pass through an animal's gut.
  • People can spread it through ornamental plantings and by dumping garden waste; reproduction may also occur by suckers.
  • Plants can produce seed from about four years of age, and seed is thought to be long-lived.

Control options

  • For small plants, remove the whole plant and root crown where practicable, taking care around the spines; contain fruit and plant material so it cannot spread.
  • For larger plants, use a herbicide registered for the target plant and site, or another method approved in your state or territory, and follow the product label and any waterway precautions.
  • Revisit treated sites and remove or treat regrowth and new seedlings; long-lived seed and possible suckering make follow-up important.
  • Check current requirements with the relevant state or territory biosecurity agency and report new or suspected infestations where requested.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Clean berries, plant fragments and soil from boots, tools and machinery before leaving an infested area, and avoid moving contaminated soil.
  • Do not dump garden waste; contain and dispose of plant material in accordance with local guidance.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Declared weed. Property managers are required by law to control declared weeds, and their import and sale are prohibited.
  • Northern Territory: Not declared. Not on the NT A to Z weed list, and Weeds Australia does not list it as declared in the NT. Check the NT declared weeds list before moving or planting it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board

Sources