Berberis darwinii or a hybrid ?

Plant is about H 2m. { H 6'} with blue berries in June. Descriptions read B. darwinii as having orange flowers, so not sure if there is also a yellow flowered form or could it be a hybrid ? Thanks for your time.

 

I'd say that's within the range of variation in flower colour of B. darwinii. The leaves do look a bit short/broad and rather over-prominently 3-lobed, though, so a hybrid is possible.

 

Such details vary with which introduction of the species you are looking at.

 

Yes , hard to be certain, thank you both for the replies.

 

Maybe at UBC or other local institution you can use a key and/or manual with technical description to make certain.

 

Heh, we have our own hybridizing Berberis to sort out!

 

For color comparison purposes, here is a photo of B. darwinii growing in my garden. Sorry for the poor quality - the wind was blowing.

 

Here's another

 

Much appreciated everybody, didn't realize the leaves could be so variable and noticing a little variation on the plants leaves here now. A few plants grown from seed , labeled B. darwinii, and no significant differences noticed between them yet, to me. Similar flower colouring among the plants, also.

 

Pretty common hybrid is Berberis 'William Penn'. Leaves are a little broader than darwiniii, flowers more golden, but could eventually reach that size.

 

That one is quite dissimilar, actually, with bigger spines and leaves both much bigger and of a different shape, and flowers borne subordinately to the leaves, without the conspicuous bunches borne above the leaves that Darwin barberry produces as part of its annual show.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=berberis+william+penn&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

If this isn't a Darwin barberry it will then, in fact be a hybrid of it or some less familiar closely related species.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/beda5.htm

 

Informative site helps a lot , thanks Ron.