The Barberry Plant: More Than Just a Tart Treat

People walking in mountainous, dry places find the barberry plant, a shrub, somewhat hostile in appearance because of its spiked thorns; however, it is an enjoyable experience thanks to its exquisite fruit. Until mid-fall, walkers can enjoy this refreshing, natural gift. I have eaten plenty of berberries myself. Even though barberries would have never been expected to be so pleasant due to their size, they have an excellent flavor, somewhere between sweet and sour. Many birds and animals make an appreciated dessert dish of them.

Barberry Plant Scientific Facts

1. Other names: European barberry, jaundice berry, pepperidge, pepperidge bush, sowberry.
2. French: Epine-vinette.
3. Spanish: Agracejo.
4. Environment: Warm, mountainous regions in Europe and America, mainly dry, rocky soils.
5. Description: This is a thorny shrub of the Berberidaceae family, whose species present groups of three or five thorns on each knot. It has yellow flowers and oval, little, red, or purple berries growing in clusters. The bark of the trunk and the root is yellowish and has been used to dye wool and other fabrics.
6. Parts of the plant used medicinally: The bark of the root and the berries.

Healing Properties and Warning

The entire plant except the berries contains very active alkaloids, which can be poisonous. The most outstanding among them is berberine, chemically similar to morphine and, according to Font Quer, suitable for de-habituating in treating morphine addiction.

The root’s bark of the barberry is the part of the plant with a higher content of berberine. It has the following properties:

1. Cholagogue and digestive. It promotes the emptying of bile, reducing the congestion of the liver and the bile system, thus reducing a bloated stomach. It also acts as a digestive tonic, increasing appetite.
2. Laxative. It eases constipation when the latter is caused by insufficient bile secretion.
3. Heart and circulatory invigorating. It has been traditionally used as a stimulant substance for exhaustion or febrile diseases.
4. Diuretic and febrifuge, although with mild effects.

Barberry fruits (berries) contain glucose, levulose, vitamin C, and citric and malic acids. Both fresh, in the form of juice or syrup, barberries are effective in refreshing and thirst-quenching. They have a mild laxative effect. Barberry juice and syrup are ideal for quenching people’s thirst with fever since they decrease their temperature, invigorate, and stimulate them.

Barberries should be gathered in the late summer or fall. They can be used freely, as they contain no alkaloids.

WARNING! Avoid during pregnancy. The root bark of the barberry plant must be carefully used, never exceeding the prescribed doses, due to its content in berberine, an alkaloid similar to morphine.

Barberry root bark contains an alkaloid that stimulates bile secretion, making it an excellent remedy for various liver conditions. The barberry plant is mainly used for all passive liver issues, and because it is bitter, it is best utilized in small quantities. Infusions with this plant are an excellent remedy for chronic stomach problems and a swollen spleen when consumed in tablespoon amounts several times daily, primarily before meals.

The barberry plant is also known to dilate the blood vessels, which makes it highly useful for those with high blood pressure. It can decrease heart rate, slow breathing, and reduce bronchial constriction. The herb can stimulate intestinal movement and destroy bacteria on the skin. A teaspoon of barberry root bark can purge the bowels.

Combined with lobelia, cayenne, and goldenseal, it is an excellent remedy for hepatitis and jaundice. A decoction of either bark or berries makes a fantastic gargle or mouthwash for throat and mouth irritations. Fresh juice made from the fruit can relieve pyorrhea and strengthen the gums when applied or brushed.

How to use Barberry

1. Infusion or decoction
2. The syrup is made with mashed fruits, then strained and added twice its weight of sugar to avoid fermentation. The syrup obtained can create a quenching drink all year round.
3. Jelly. Barberries are also used to prepare delicious jellies.

Infusion: ½ ounces to one pint of water. Steep for ten minutes. Take one to four cups a day before meals. Decoction (root bark): Simmer for ten minutes. Take one tablespoon as needed. Tincture: Add ½ to one teaspoon as needed. Fluid extract: Add ½ to one teaspoon as needed. Powder: Take two to five #0 capsules (15 to 30 grains) daily.

DISCLAIMER: All content on this website is presented solely for educational and informational objectives. Do not rely on the information provided as a replacement for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical expert. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any preexisting medical concerns, talk to your doctor before using any herbal or natural medicines.

REFERENCES

1. George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. “Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.” George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Ed. Francesc X. Gelabert. Vols. 1 San Fernando de Henares: Editorial Safeliz, 2000. 384, 385. Print. [barberry plant]
2. Vance Ferrell Harold M. Cherne, M.D. The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia [Book]. – Altamont, TN: Harvestime Books, 2010. – Vol. Seventh Edition: 7: pp. 143, 144.
3. WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/health-benefits-of-barberries

Last update on 2025-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API