Berberis darwinii is a great shrub for honey bees – yeilding a nice supply of early nectar and ample greenish pollen in the spring.
It is quite a large hardy plant – at least 2m in height – with glossy, dark green evergreen leaves equipped with spines and it will live for up to 20 years. When in flower it is very glamorous indeed – branches can be smothered in clusters of bright orange flowers and a-buzz with bees of many species.
Here’s a honey bee enjoying the weather and the Berberis in full bloom:
Click on this picture below and you can almost see the nectar gathering in the flowers:
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