Berberis goudotii (Goudot’s Barberry)

Native to Colombia and northwestern Venezuela, this thorny evergreen shrub grows in Andean forests and páramo and can reach about 10 feet tall. In Colombia, it occurs between about 6,200 and 13,000 feet. Its glossy leaves have spine-toothed margins and pale undersides. Hanging clusters of orange-yellow flowers develop from red-orange buds, followed by purple to black berries. The fruits have been used at the Bogotá Botanical Garden to produce dyes for cotton and wool. The ornamental berries are potentially harmful if eaten. Photographed in Colombia.