CLIMBING BLUEBERRY (Billardiera longiflora) A tree of climbing blueberry   Family:  Pittosporaceae. Other names: Appleberry, purple apple berry. Climbing blue berry is a native of Tasmania and has been in cultivation for more than 200 years.  It has gradually reached other parts of the world including United Kingdom and USA.             It

GANDHELU (Murraya koenigii) A plant of gandhelu Synonymy: Bergera koenigii Family: Rutaceae English name: Curry leaf-plant Indian names: karepaku (Andhra Pradesh); narasingha, bishahari (Assam); barsanga, kartaphulli (Bengal); gorenimb, kadhilimbdo (Gujrat); mitha neem, gandhla, gandhela, gandhelu (Himachal Pradesh); kathnim, mitha neem, kurry patta gandhela, barsanga (Hindi); karibeva (Karnataka); kariveppilei (Kerala); gandhela, gandla, gani (Kumaon); bassan, basango, bhursanga (Orissa); surabhinimba, kalasaka, mahanimb (Sanskrit); karivempu, karuveppilei (Tamilnadu) Gandhelu is commonly found in the outer Himalayas, from the Ravi eastwards, ascending to

RED IVORY (Berchemia zeyheri) A tree of red ivory  Family: Rhamnaceae Other names: Monee, rooi-ivoor, umNini, xiniyani. Red ivory is a native of southern Africa.  It occurs naturally from Zimbabwe in the north to the Eastern Cape in the south. The tree can be seen growing in large numbers in forests,

BIRD PLUM (Brechemia discolor)    A tree of bird plum Family: Rhamnaceae Synonyms: Adolia discolor, Araliorhamus punctulata, Araliorhamus vaginata, Phyllogeiton discolor, Scutia discolor. Other names: Brown ivory, dog plum, mountain date, wild almond, Qanantab, Jajaba, Jejeba, Deen, Dheen-den ro’o, Kor’guba. Bird plum is a fruit from Africa.  It wide spread from the Sudan to

BROWN IVORY (Berchemia bicolor)       Family: Rhamnaceae. Brown ivory is an evergreen tree occurring in the southern part of Africa.  This bears edible fruits.  It is a close relative of red ivory (Berchemia zeyheri).             This plant is quite similar to red ivory but has smaller leaves. (More information on this fruit

EUROPEAN BARBERRY (Berberis vulgaris) A tree of European barberry Family:  Berberidaceae Other names: Sereshk, Zereshk European barberry is an edible fruit bearing shrub widely growing in sparse forests in Europe, Northwest Africa and western Asia.  Though botanists are not unanimous about its origin, but seem to originated in central or southern Europe.  However,

MICHAY (Berberis darwinii) A shrub of michay in full bloom Family: Berberidaceae Other names: Darwin’s barberry. Michay is a native of Patagonia, the southernmost end of the South America containing parts of Brazil, Argentina and Chile.  Like calafate, it is also a symbol of Patagonia.  There is a popular belief in

CALAFATE (Berberis buxifolia) A plant of calafate   Family: Berberidaceae Synonyms: Berberis dulcis Other names: Magellan barberry Calaafate is a fruit of Patagonia, which is the southern most region of the South America comprising of parts of Brazil, Argentina and Chile.  Calafate berry is the symbol of petagonia. Fruits of calafate  

OREGON GRAPE (Mahonia aquifolium) A shrub of Oregon grape Family: Berbediaceae Synonyms: Berberis aquifolium Other names: Holly leaved barberry, mountain grape. Oregon grape, as the name indicates, is a fruit from America.  It grows wild from North American West from Southeast Alaska to Northern California, and eastern Alberta to southern Colorado.  It mostly grows in

KASHMAL (Berberis aristata) A portion of kashmal bush   Family: Berberidaceae English names: Indian barberry, tree turmeric Indian names: darhaldi (Bengal), kashmoi (Garhwal), rasont, kashmal (Himachal Pradesh), chitra, dar-hald, rasaut, kashmal (Hindi), maradarisina, maramanjal, (Kerala), daruhald(Maharashtra), chitra, chutro (Nepal),chitra, kasmal. simlu, sumlu (Punjab) mullukala, usikkala (Tamil Nadu), daruharidra, darvi, kata, pitadaru, suvarnavarna (Sanskrit). Kashmal is an erect spinous shrub, often found in small patches on the bill slopes. It is