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Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
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Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is an invasive plant with edible and medicinal berries that persist through the winter.
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Japanese barberries can be found in forest clearings and overgrown fields. In the spring, the plant produces edible small leaves that are accompanied by a single spine. The plant has yellow flowers in the spring which become red berries in the fall.
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Berries have a mealy texture and sour taste. Berries can be dried and added to desserts or rice dishes, used to flavor drinks, or turned into jams.
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The barberry plant can be used medicinally for its antibacterial, anti fungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergy properties. The plant has also been used in the treatment of cancer, Lyme Disease, and UTI’s. The roots are high in berberine. Berries are rich in vitamin C and malic acid.
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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.