Berberis harrisoniana
Kofa mountain barberry, Kofa Mountain Barberry
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Berberidaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Berberis harrisoniana (Kofa mountain barberry) is a native California shrub in the Berberidaceae family.
Kofa mountain barberry is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in the eastern Sonoran Desert's Whipple Mountains on rocky or talus slopes at elevations of 750 to 850 meters. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces yellow flowers in small open clusters with 6 to 11 blossoms. Growing 0.5 to 1.5 meters tall with erect stems, it develops short lateral branches with crowded leaves. Its distinctive leaves are palmately arranged with three leathery leaflets, each 3 to 5 centimeters long, featuring sharp-pointed triangular blades with spine-tipped teeth along the margins. The fruit is a blue-black spherical to ovoid berry approximately 5 to 6 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric species, CNPS 1B.2
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky or talus slopes, thorn scrub
Elevation: 750-850 m
California counties: San Bernardino
Outside California: to western Arizona
Bloom period
Berberis harrisoniana blooms Jan-Mar.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Quercus: Berberis has compound leaves or simple leaves with regular spiny teeth; Quercus has simple lobed leaves with irregular lobes.; vs Ilex: Berberis has compound leaves or alternate simple leaves; Ilex has only simple leaves that are spirally arranged.; vs Pyracantha: Berberis has yellow flowers and compound or simple spiny-edged leaves; Pyracantha has white flowers and simple leaves with thorns on stems.; vs Rosa: Berberis has yellow flowers with 6 petals; Rosa has pink-white flowers with 5 petals and compound leaves with paired leaflets.; vs Rhaphiolepis: Berberis has yellow flowers and spiny-toothed leaves; Rhaphiolepis has white-pink flowers and simple leaves with smooth or finely toothed edges.
Frequently asked questions
Is Berberis harrisoniana native to California?
Yes. Berberis harrisoniana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Berberis harrisoniana bloom?
Berberis harrisoniana blooms Jan-Mar.
Where in California does Berberis harrisoniana grow?
Berberis harrisoniana occurs in San Bernardino, at elevations of 750-850 m.
What plant family does Berberis harrisoniana belong to?
Berberis harrisoniana is in the Berberidaceae family, genus Berberis.
Is Berberis harrisoniana rare or endangered?
Berberis harrisoniana carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.