Mount Etna barberry

This small, scrubby, deciduous, dwarf species of Barberry grows to about 2 ft high and has crooked branches and is suitable for the rock or alpine garden. Its leaves are small, oval shaped, sometimes toothed or with bristles and it is quite thorny having three-parted spines, sometimes over 1 inch long. It has pretty small yellow flowers in late spring, in short clusters 3⁄4 to 1 1⁄4 inch long, carrying six to sometimes fifteen individual little flowers. The little berry like fruits are red turning red-black when fully ripe.