Partners at the Huntington Library are actively pursuing tissue culture as a means for propagating this species, which is difficult to propagate by cuttings and produces little seed in the wild.

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is actively investigating methods for vegetative propagation of this species to increase the probability of successful augmentation of wild populations.

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden holds 3 accessions of Berberis pinnata subsp. insularis in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 110 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has collected 3 seed accessions of Berberis pinnata subsp. insularis from 1 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 3 maternal plants

In July 2017, intense searches resulted in the discovery of approximately 14 new clusters of island barberry growing in dense brush in a Santa Cruz Island Canyon. Upcoming genetic work will help determine the lineage of these plants and whether they are represented in ex situ collections.

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is actively investigating methods for vegetative propagation of this species to increase the probability of successful augmentation of wild populations. Partners at the Huntington Library are actively pursuing tissue culture as a means for propagating this species, which is difficult to propagate by cuttings and produces little seed in the wild.

Genetic studies conducted at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in 2016 found distinct differences among the five wild plants known at that time, but only one is represented in living collections. Ironically, a second island barberry plant common among botanic garden collections is not one of the 5 known wild genotypes. Upcoming genetics work will determine assess the plants located in 2017 and whether they may represent the common botanic garden genotype.

Historically known from 3 of the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. Apparently extirpated on Santa Rosa and West Anacapa islands, and now known to be extant at only 3 sites on Santa Cruz Island. The 3 Santa Cruz sites probably have fewer than 5 genetic individuals each. None show signs of successful sexual reproduction. Soil loss and other habitat alterations caused by feral pig rooting is a threat. Pigs and other introduced mammals have drastically altered the islands' ecosystems over the past 150 years. (USFWS 2013)

As listed in the recovery plan for thirteen plants from the northern channel islands (USFWS 2000): habitat alteration by feral pigs, including erosion; erosion associated with a road at one site; and reduced reproduction from low pollinator activity.

One extant locality has at least two plants separated by about 200 meters. Attempts to find additional plants have been unsuccessful, because of dense vegetation and inaccessibility. A second locality has a single, large cluster of multiple stems (Jeff Howart, pers. comm.). The remaining locality may have had as many as seven individuals in the 1980s (Wilken 1996), but recent observations indicate the presence of a single large cluster of multiple stems (Steve Junak, pers. comm.).

Studies at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden have focused on germination and cultivation requirements, which include moist cold stratification for 3 months and shaded conditions for container plants. Wilken (1996) has also studied the reproductive strategy of this species.

Sites on Santa Cruz Island occur on lands are owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. The latter, in cooperation with the National Park Service, is developing a plan for feral pig removal and reduction of exotic weeds. However, no short-term measures have been taken to protect vulnerable plants from erosion or pig rooting.

Genetic relationships among plants of ssp. insularis, and to mainland populations of ssp. pinnata. Surveys for undiscovered populations.

Development of a living collection representing all known genets.