Plant Image Data Base                                         

     Berberis thunbergii

                                                         Japanese Barberry

• Form
  • small deciduous shrub
  • maturing at 3' tall by 3' wide
  • upright rounded or spreading mound growth habit for the various cultivars
  • slow growth rate
• Culture
  • full sun to partial sun
  • prefers a well-drained soil, but otherwise is adaptable to various soils, soil pHs, soil compaction, drought, and pollution
  • Barberry Family, with few disease or pest problems
  • moderately to abundantly available amongst the selected cultivars, primarily in container form
  • Japanese Barberry is somewhat sensitive to being transplanted in autumn, and care should be taken to amend the soil, fertilize, water thoroughly, mulch liberally, and avoid winter salt spray, to enhance winter survival
• Foliage
  • red-, yellow-, green-, and variegated foliage forms are all available
  • fall color is variable, being orange to wine-colored in late autumn for green- or red-foliaged forms, and chartreuse to off-yellow for golden-foliaged forms
• Twigs
  • zigzag, thin, and lightly grooved, with small, scaly buds
  • single thin small spines along the stems, creating a nagging persistent itch when brushed against
  • older stems display a cinnamon and white streaked bark (not noticed unless viewed up-close)
  • stems, branches, and roots are fairly brittle and easily broken when bent, revealing a bright yellow interior wood

• Purpose
  • Japanese Barberry cultivars are some of the most common small- to miniature-sized shrubs, noted for their foliage-color variety, especially the cultivars 'Crimson Pygmy' (crimson-purple) and 'Bonanza Gold' (golden-yellow).
• Summary
  • Berberis thunbergii is a popular spiny small shrub, very fine textured, and very urban tolerant, with a wide selection of foliage color variants, often used as a single specimen, in group or mass plantings, or as a low thorny informal border.

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