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To learn more about the map elements, please download the "Pan-European strategy for genetic conservation of forest trees"
This distribution map has been developed by the European Commission Joint Research Centre (partly based on the EUFORGEN map) and released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0)
Caudullo, Giovanni; Welk, Erik; San-Miguel-Ayanz, Jesús (2017). Chorological maps and data for the main European woody species. figshare. Collection. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.2918528
The following experts have contributed to the development of the EUFORGEN distribution maps:
Fazia Krouchi (Algeria), Hasmik Ghalachyan (Armenia), Thomas Geburek (Austria), Berthold Heinze (Austria), Rudi Litschauer (Austria), Rudolf Litschauer (Austria), Michael Mengl (Austria), Ferdinand Müller (Austria), Franz Starlinger (Austria), Valida Ali-zade (Azerbaijan), Vahid Djalal Hajiyev (Azerbaijan), Karen Cox (Belgium), Bart De Cuyper (Belgium), Olivier Desteucq (Belgium), Patrick Mertens (Belgium), Jos Van Slycken (Belgium), An Vanden Broeck (Belgium), Kristine Vander Mijnsbrugge (Belgium), Dalibor Ballian (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Alexander H. Alexandrov (Bulgaria), Alexander Delkov (Bulgaria), Ivanova Denitsa Pandeva (Bulgaria), Peter Zhelev Stoyanov (Bulgaria), Joso Gracan (Croatia), Marilena Idzojtic (Croatia), Mladen Ivankovic (Croatia), Željka Ivanović (Croatia), Davorin Kajba (Croatia), Hrvoje Marjanovic (Croatia), Sanja Peric (Croatia), Andreas Christou (Cyprus), Xenophon Hadjikyriacou (Cyprus), Václav Buriánek (Czech Republic), Jan Chládek (Czech Republic), Josef Frýdl (Czech Republic), Petr Novotný (Czech Republic), Martin Slovacek (Czech Republic), Zdenek Špišek (Czech Republic), Karel Vancura (Czech Republic), Ulrik Bräuner (Denmark), Bjerne Ditlevsen (Denmark), Jon Kehlet Hansen (Denmark), Jan Svejgaard Jensen (Denmark), Kalev Jðgiste (Estonia), Tiit Maaten (Estonia), Raul Pihu (Estonia), Ülo Tamm (Estonia), Arvo Tullus (Estonia), Aivo Vares (Estonia), Teijo Nikkanen (Finland), Sanna Paanukoski (Finland), Mari Rusanen (Finland), Pekka Vakkari (Finland), Leena Yrjänä (Finland), Daniel Cambon (France), Eric Collin (France), Alexis Ducousso (France), Bruno Fady (France), François Lefèvre (France), Brigitte Musch (France), Sylvie Oddou-Muratorio (France), Luc E. Pâques (France), Julien Saudubray (France), Marc Villar (France), Vlatko Andonovski (FYR Macedonia), Dragi Pop-Stojanov (FYR Macedonia), Merab Machavariani (Georgia), Irina Tvauri (Georgia), Alexander Urushadze (Georgia), Bernd Degen (Germany), Jochen Kleinschmit (Germany), Armin König (Germany), Armin König (Germany), Volker Schneck (Germany), Richard Stephan (Germany), H. H. Kausch-Blecken Von Schmeling (Germany), Georg von Wühlisch (Germany), Iris Wagner (Germany), Heino Wolf (Germany), Paraskevi Alizoti (Greece), Filippos Aravanopoulos (Greece), Andreas Drouzas (Greece), Despina Paitaridou (Greece), Aristotelis C. Papageorgiou (Greece), Kostas Thanos (Greece), Sándor Bordács (Hungary), Csaba Mátyás (Hungary), László Nagy (Hungary), Thröstur Eysteinsson (Iceland), Adalsteinn Sigurgeirsson (Iceland), Halldór Sverrisson (Iceland), John Fennessy (Ireland), Ellen O'Connor (Ireland), Fulvio Ducci (Italy), Silvia Fineschi (Italy), Bartolomeo Schirone (Italy), Marco Cosimo Simeone (Italy), Giovanni Giuseppe Vendramin (Italy), Lorenzo Vietto (Italy), Janis Birgelis (Latvia), Virgilijus Baliuckas (Lithuania), Kestutis Cesnavicius (Lithuania), Darius Danusevicius (Lithuania), Valmantas Kundrotas (Lithuania), Alfas Pliûra (Lithuania), Darius Raudonius (Lithuania), Robert du Fays (Luxembourg), Myriam Heuertz (Luxembourg), Claude Parini (Luxembourg), Fred Trossen (Luxembourg), Frank Wolter (Luxembourg), Joseph Buhagiar (Malta), Eman Calleja (Malta), Ion Palancean (Moldova), Dragos Postolache (Moldova), Gheorghe Postolache (Moldova), Hassan Sbay (Morocco), Tor Myking (Norway), Tore Skrøppa (Norway), Anna Gugala (Poland), Jan Kowalczyk (Poland), Czeslaw Koziol (Poland), Jan Matras (Poland), Zbigniew Sobierajski (Poland), Maria Helena Almeida (Portugal), Filipe Costa e Silva (Portugal), Luís Reis (Portugal), Maria Carolina Varela (Portugal), Ioan Blada (Romania), Alexandru-Lucian Curtu (Romania), Lucian Dinca (Romania), Georgeta Mihai (Romania), Mihai Olaru (Romania), Gheorghe Parnuta (Romania), Natalia Demidova (Russian Federation), Mikhail V. Pridnya (Russian Federation), Andrey Prokazin (Russian Federation), Srdjan Bojovic (Serbia) , Vasilije Isajev (Serbia), Saša Orlovic (Serbia), Rudolf Bruchánik (Slovakia), Roman Longauer (Slovakia), Ladislav Paule (Slovakia), Gregor Bozič (Slovenia), Robert Brus (Slovenia), Katarina Celič (Slovenia), Hojka Kraigher (Slovenia), Andrej Verlič (Slovenia), Marjana Westergren (Slovenia), Ricardo Alía (Spain), Josefa Fernández-López (Spain), Luis Gil Sanchez (Spain), Pablo Gonzalez Goicoechea (Spain), Santiago C. 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Common barberry shows high levels of genetic diversity in Iranian populations, where most of the variation occurs within populations rather than between them, and genetic diversity is not linked to geographic distance (Safamanesh, Esmaeilzadeh Bahabadi, and Izanloo, 2017).
Little genetic research has been conducted on common barberry, and the studies that exist have primarily been carried out in Iran, with no dedicated research focusing on European populations. In Iran, cluster analysis has revealed five or six main groups, indicating high genetic variation among collected barberry ecotypes (Safamanesh, Esmaeilzadeh Bahabadi, and Izanloo, 2017). The lack of comparable studies in Europe means that the genetic structure, clustering, and variation of European B. vulgaris populations remain poorly understood.
Common barberry is insect-pollinated, with seeds distributed mostly by animals that feed on its red fruit. It is self-fertile and autogenous, with both vegetative and sexual reproduction contributing to gene flow (Safamanesh, Esmaeilzadeh Bahabadi, and Izanloo, 2017).
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2025.
In Europe, genetic studies clearly differentiate common barberry from other barberry species. However, it shows similarity to Croatian barberry (Berberis croatica) in the Balkans and Sicily, with partial overlap between the species reflecting environmental adaptation (Kremer et al., 2020). All studied populations of common barberry display varying degrees of intraspecific variability (Kremer et al., 2020), underlining the importance of molecular approaches for accurate taxonomic identification due to the species’ adaptive plasticity.
Common barberry is widely cultivated for its fruit, is valued as a medicinal plant, and is an important crop in Iran (Safamanesh, Esmaeilzadeh Bahabadi, and Izanloo, 2017). The species is highly tolerant of low temperatures, drought, and wind, making it suitable for cultivation in marginal areas where other crops cannot grow. As a result, it has been widely domesticated, with Iran becoming the largest producer of seedless barberry worldwide (Pirkhezri, 2022).
Human intervention has strongly influenced the species’ genetic diversity, with research showing higher levels of variation within populations rather than between populations, suggesting that breeding programmes should focus on within-population selection (Safamanesh, Esmaeilzadeh Bahabadi, and Izanloo, 2017). Genetic assessments and research have been carried out to support the selection of traits for cultivation, particularly fruit quality (Safamanesh, Esmaeilzadeh Bahabadi, and Izanloo, 2017). Recent studies have focused on fruit trait diversity and its value in cultivation, highlighting the crop’s role in sustainable horticulture and its potential to reduce pressure on water resources, especially under rain-fed conditions in Iran (Pirkhezri, 2022).
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2025.
Threats to the genetic diversity of common barberry remain unknown due to limited research, particularly in Europe, where little genetic work has been conducted.
Management strategies for common barberry have not been developed, and the conservation needs of the species remain poorly defined. However, common barberry poses a risk for wheat cultivation because it can act as a host for the wheat stem rust pathogen (Puccinia spp.), facilitating its life cycle and spread. As such, cultivation of common barberry in Europe could inadvertently support stem rust outbreaks, potentially restricting its use in horticulture or requiring careful management to prevent disease transmission (Rodriguez-Algaba et al., 2022).
The bibliographic review was conducted by James Chaplin of the EUFORGEN Secretariat in August 2025.
Further reading
Goodarzi, S., Khadivi, A., Abbasifar, A., and Akramian, M. 2018. Phenotypic, pomological and chemical variations of the seedless barberry (Berberis vulgaris L. var. asperma). Scientia Horticulturae, 238: 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2018.04.040
Rodriguez-Algaba, J., Hovmøller, M.S., Schulz, P., Hansen, J.G., Lezáun, J.A., Joaquim, J., Randazzo, B., Czembor, P., Zemeca, L., Slikova, S., and Hanzalová, A. 2022. Stem rust on barberry species in Europe: Host specificities and genetic diversity. Frontiers in Genetics, 13: 988031. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2022.988031
Safari, A. and Rezaei, M. 2023. Assessing genetic diversity of berberis genotypes selected from an F1 population using molecular markers. Journal of Berry Research, 13(4): 343–353. https://doi.org/10.3233/JBR-230044
References
Kremer, D., Jurišić-Grubešić, R., Bogunić, F., Elefheriadou, E., Ballian, D., Kosalec, I., Randić, M., Vuković-Rodríguez, J., and Karlović, K. 2020. Morphological variability of leaf and shoot traits of four barberry taxa (Berberis L.) from the Balkan Peninsula and Sicily. Botanica Serbica, 44(2): 137–148. https://doi.org/10.2298/BOTSERB2002137K
Pirkhezri, M. 2022. Investigation of genetic diversity of some wild barberry genotypes (Berberis spp.) in Alborz and Tehran provinces using morpho-pomological markers. Journal of Horticultural Science, 36(1): 177–191. https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.68493.1018
Rodriguez-Algaba, J., Hovmøller, M.S., Schulz, P., Hansen, J.G., Lezáun, J.A., Joaquim, J., Randazzo, B., Czembor, P., Zemeca, L., Slikova, S., and Hanzalová, A. 2022. Stem rust on barberry species in Europe: Host specificities and genetic diversity. Frontiers in Genetics, 13: 988031. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2022.988031
Safamanesh, B., Esmaeilzadeh Bahabadi, S., and Izanloo, A. 2017. Investigation of genetic variation in Berberis vulgaris using ISSR and SSR molecular markers. Journal of Cell and Molecular Research, 9(1): 23–34. https://doi.org/10.22067/jcmr.v9i1.62712
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