Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- BER-ber-is thun-BER-jee-eye
- Description
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Japanese barberry 'Crimson Pygmy' is a deciduous, woody shrub cultivar of Japanese barberry, which is in the barberry family (Berberidaceae). Both the parent plant and this cultivar are invasive species in North Carolina.
'Crimson Pygmy' barberry grows 1 to 3 feet tall and somewhat wider in a rounded dense form. The leaves are purplish in summer and turn red in the fall. It spreads by creeping roots and by self-seeding. Branches may root where they touch the ground. The stems have spines.
Though it has received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, ‘Crimson Pygmy’ barberry is not recommended for North Carolina landscapes due to its invasiveness. Please choose a less problematic plant. Suggestions appear to the left.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Be aware of the thorny stems. ‘Crimson Pygmy’ is susceptible to root rots, aphids, Indian wax and armored scales, twobanded Japanese weevil, wilt, barberry webworm, anthracnose, bacterial leaf spot and powdery mildew.
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.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape s :
- Mountain Ridgetop Garden - East Lawn and Lower Drive Border Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Lawn and Upper Drive Border Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Woods Mountain Ridge Top Garden - West Lawn and Border Paths & Walkways
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Berberis
- Species:
- thunbergii
- Family:
- Berberidaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Berries attract birds.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Buffer
- Easy to Grow
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- urban conditions; heat; erosion; range of soil types, except wet; seldom damaged by deer; drought; pollution
- Edibility:
- Not poisonous, but berries contain berberine that can cause stomach upset, especially with children.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Dense
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
- Appendage:
- Spines
- Thorns
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- This plant has .2-in., red, oval berries in summer that persist into winter. Berries attract birds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- This plant has waxy, pale yellow to orange to red flowers that bloom in April and May.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- This plant has alternate, simple, deep crimson leaves with bronze tinge. Leaves are .5 to .7 in.-long (though can reach 1.25 inches long) and can be greenish-red when grown in shade. This plant has a single spine at each node.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Some stems are brittle. Thorns are attached to the stem.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Container
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Cottage Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Rock Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Border
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Screen/Privacy
- Security
- Small groups
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Heat
- Pollution
- Salt
- Urban Conditions
- Problems:
- Problem for Children
- Spines/Thorns
