Berberis can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs with spiny shoots bearing simple, often spine-toothed leaves, and small yellow or orange flowers in axillary clusters or racemes, followed by small berries
B. verruculosa is a medium-sized, spiny, rather slow-growing evergreen shrub with oval leaves, dark shiny green above, white beneath. Solitary yellow flowers 2cm across are followed by blue-black berries