Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands

Take care of our Navajo Rangelands

Algerita
Tsinłitsoi
(a.k.a. agarita, agrito, currant-of-Texas, wild currant)

Spine-tipped leaves

Algerita, a member of the barberry family, has spiny bluish or gray-green holly-like foliage with masses of fragrant yellow flowers in early spring, followed by attractive juicy red berries. Protected by sharp, spine-tipped leaves, its edible fruit is savored by wildlife and humans. Other similar Southwest native barberries include the larger B. haematocarpa and the smaller B. swaseyi.

Ripening berries and spine-tipped foliage
Highly branched habit
Dark green, shiny foliage and red berries
yellow flowers, green holly-like leaves on a branch
Profuse yellow flowers fill a branch

Copyright 2018 New Mexico State University. Individual photographers retain all rights to their images. Partially funded by the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (westernsare.org; 435.797.2257), project EW15-023. Programs and projects supported by Western SARE are equally open to all people. NMSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action educator and employer.

NMSU does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, serious medical condition, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, spousal affiliation or protected veteran status in its programs and activities as required by equal opportunity/affirmative action regulations and laws and university policy and rules. For more information please read the NMSU Notice of Non-discrimination.