Berberis lycium Royle

A deciduous shrub. It grows 3 m tall. The stems are slender. There are short spines 25 mm long on the stems. The leaves are oblong or sword shaped and 5 cm long. They are grey-green. Sometimes they have teeth. The flowers are golden yellow. There can be 20 flowers in a cluster. The fruit are black berries with a grey bloom.

It is a temperate plant. It grows in cold desert in north India. In the Himalayas it grows between 1,400-3,200 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also used in preserves. The young shoots and leaves are used as a vegetable and for a tea-like drink. The flowers are chewed.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.