^{[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 16 October 2023].}

I took this photograph of Berberis darwinii a few streets from where I sit my "regulars" on my birthday this year.

This plant is a perfect example of my argument that "weeds are just plants in the wrong place".

From Wikipedia: It is a popular garden and hedging shrub in the British Isles. The Royal Horticultural Society has given the species its Award of Garden Merit.

and

Berberis darwinii is regarded as an invasive plant pest in New Zealand that escaped from gardens into indigenous plant communities via its bird-dispersed seeds. It is considered a serious threat to indigenous ecosystems throughout New Zealand and is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord.