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BARBERRY
Berberis vulgaris
This useful plant came to the U.S. from
Europe, and has naturalized in North America.
Barbery is a perennial bush, often used for ornamental purposes, due to its
colorful leaves
and bright red berries in the autumn, and functions as a fence, due to its
nasty thorns.It is also used as medicine - its bark, roots and berries
contain therapies for health.
One of the plant chemicals Barberry contains is strongly antibacterial and
amebicidal.
It stimulates bile secretion by acting on the gallbladder, and relieving
gallbladder pain,
jaundice and gallstones. Herbalists prescribe it for hepatitis because it
has such a helpful
effect on the liver. The stem and root bark have very beneficial effects on
the digestive
tract. Barberry has been used to treat skin conditions like eczema and
psoriasis.
CAUTION - Barberry should not be used for more than 4 to 6 weeks at a time,
and
never during pregnancy.
History & Folklore - The people of ancient Egypt smashed and soaked the
berries with
fennel seed to make a medicine for alleviating fevers.The berries, though
sour, have been made into preserves - that’s one way to keep the medicine
over the year until the plant produces more berries.Native Americans of the
Catawba tribe used Barberry to treat peptic ulcers.
(Information obtained from “The Encyclopedia of Medicinal
Plants” by Andrew Chevallier)
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