Berberis hallii

Native to southwestern Colombia and Ecuador, this thorny shrub grows in Andean mountain forests and can reach about 10 feet tall. In Colombia, it occurs between about 7,200 and 9,200 feet; in Ecuador, it also grows at higher elevations. Its leathery leaves can have smooth or spine-toothed margins. Clusters of small yellow to orange flowers are followed by fleshy berries that ripen purple to black. Photographed in the eastern Andes mountain range of Colombia.