There are not many Barberry family species to be found either in Finland or anywhere else in the Nordic countries, with only 4 species if escapes from cultivation are included. Globally the family is comprised of 17 genera and around 750 species. The largest genus by a long way is the type genus Berberis with almost 600 species of bushes. Apart from barberry, its close relative mahonia (Mahonia aquifolium, nowadays known as Berberis aquifolium) can be found growing in the wild in Finland as an escape from cultivation. The family also includes trees and herb-stemmed plants.