After facing near-extinction, Nilgiri barberry makes a come back on Munnar hills

After facing near-local extinction on the high-altitude shola hills of Munnar, the Nilgiri barberry (Berberis tinctoria) -- locally known as Kozhikkallu Mullu -- has returned to the forest landscape and established a thriving habitat.

The rare and endangered shrub, native to the high-altitude reaches of the Western Ghats, has been revived through dedicated conservation efforts by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and the Kerala Forest department.

Munnar Range Forest Officer S. Biju said the shrub was once common across Munnar's high-altitude shola grasslands. "However, after the introduction of invasive timber species such as eucalyptus and acacia, the shrub suffered a severe decline and was restricted to small pockets in Yellappetty and Anamudi Shola," said the official. "To ensure its revival, the KFRI supplied saplings, and nearly 18,000 were planted at Gundumala, near Munnar, in 2022. Today, a large population of barberry has grown in the grasslands of Gundumala, turning it into an active habitat."

P. Sujanapal, senior scientist, KFRI, said the shrub was relatively common in Mukurthi National Park, near Ooty, in Tamil Nadu. "To re-establish a population in Munnar, the KFRI collected seeds from Mukurthi and initially attempted to raise saplings on our main campus. However, due to differences in climate and elevation, that effort failed. We then sowed the seeds at the KFRI Field Station Nursery in Devikulam. Once sowed closer to its natural altitude and conditions, we obtained healthy saplings, which were handed over to the department for field planting," Dr. Sujanapal said.

Food source for birds

Dr. Sujanapal highlighted the shrub's distinctive ecological and botanical traits. "The wood is extremely dense and fire-resistant. The fruit is edible for both humans and native birds. Additionally, it has notable medicinal properties and is used in traditional medicines for several ailments. Crucially, the shrub helps secure a dependable food source for the local bird species."

Dr. Sujanapal added that the thorny shrub was known in Tamil Nadu as Oosipazham. "The species was reintroduced in Munnar as part of a broader eco-restoration project. With the revival of the grasslands and the Nilgiri barberry, local wildlife, including high altitude birds, have begun returning to their natural habitat," he said.

The scientist said that without this targeted intervention, the critically endangered species would likely have vanished entirely from the Munnar hills within years.