Red barberry Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea

Purple leaf barberry is a deciduous shrub variety in the Berberidaceae (barberry) family with striking purple burgundy foliage and red stems.  This dependable accent  plant is a rounded, dense shrub with numerous spiny branches and is easy to transplant.  It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide.

Plant in the full sun to light shade, in average to dry well drained soils.  It is tolerant to a wide range of soil types including clay as long as the soils are not too wet.  This shrub is hardy down to zone 4 and is resistant to browsing by deer, and is drought and air pollution tolerant.  Propagate through stem cuttings.

The yellow fragrant flowers are showy and delicate hanging down from the branches.  Stand out red orange leaves appear in the fall and showy red fruits last through the fall and winter months.  The fruits are enjoyed by birds.

It can be used for a specimen, hedge, or as barrier planting. Its texture is medium to fine. This plant dislikes wet feet and it can be quite aggressive and weedy in eastern North America.  There are some dwarf cultivars of this plant that might be more appropriate for the landscape.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:   The spiny branches make it very difficult to prune.  Anthracnose, root rot, bacterial leaf spot, wilt, scale, barberry webworm, and aphids are some problems that this plant may struggle with.

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.