Golden Japanese Barberry Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'

'Aurea' is a golden-leaved deciduous cultivar of the Japanese barberry in the Berberidaceae family. The parent is native to Asia and is considered invasive in some parts of the eastern USA, including North Carolina. 

'Aurea' grows 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide in a dense, rounded form. It will grow in full sun to partial shade, but the best leaf color is in full sun. It will tolerate most soils except poorly drained ones. It is deer and drought tolerant with few problems. It spreads by runners, layering and seeds, so it can be a little aggressive in the garden.

The yellow flowers form in spring in short clusters, are somewhat inconspicuous and are followed by bright red berries in fall. The yellow leaves hold their color well in full sun and the branches have spines.

Although this shrub produces fewer viable seeds than its parent, it is not sterile and can still spread outside the garden.  Please consider using native or less aggressive plants instead. See alternatives to the left.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Having spines on its stems could be an issue for children but also for wind blown trash getting caught on the spines. Anthracnose, root rot, bacterial leaf spot, wilt, scale, barberry webworm, and aphids are potential problems.

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

More information on Berberis thunbergii.