Barberry

I was just searching for something else in Google Images when I happened to spot a photo of what looked very much like the one above. Checking it out, I discovered that my photo shows the flowers of Barberry. I don't know how many kinds of Barberry there are, so I can't be certain that the information below applies to the shrub in my photo.

This perennial shrub was introduced from Europe and Asia as an ornamental. The red clusters of berries are attractive, with individual berries being 1cm long, with 1-3 black seeds per berry. It is in the Category: Prohibited Noxious. I think I've only seen it in three places - the Reader Rock Garden, Calgary Zoo, and one plant growing wild at Griffith Woods. This photo was taken on 27 May 2015 at the Reader Rock Garden.

On that day, I had a volunteer shift and afterwards, as the sun was shining, I called in at the Reader Rock Garden. There was rain in the forecast so I thought I'd better make the most of the blue sky while I could. Alberta is bone dry so, much as I really dislike the rain, we desperately need it. And that is exactly what it is doing this morning.

From the Garden, I drove through the adjoining Union Cemetery and then another nearby cemetery, and then called in at a wetland in SW Calgary.