By Mikeallen
United Kingdom 
Our barberry berberis darwinii is about 40 years old and looks like a crooked tree. It's about 3 metres tall and has grown horizontally and we have supported it. For the last 5 years it has bloomed beautifully every year and attracted many bees and insects. This year it hasn't flowered at all, the leaves have turned brown and fallen off and it has bark splitting several inches deep up the trunk and all the branches.
what can I do to fix it, my son Rhys and his friends absolutely love it. P.S. I also pruned back some of the branches last Autumn too.
thanks, Mike Allen. Bishopston, Gower.
On plant
Berberis darwinii
15 May, 2010
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I hate to say it, but it's possible that your berberis may have reached the end of its life. I'd take cuttings and hope that they take. When plants are under stress or getting near the end they often put on a really good show of flowers as a last chance to produce seeds.
I hope I'm wrong and someone comes up with a remedy for you and it.
16 May, 2010