Japanese Barberry Berberis thunbergii
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Japanese Barberry:
- Phonetic Spelling
- BER-ber-is thun-BER-jee-eye
- This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
- Description
-
This plant is problematic and alternatives should be considered. Please see the suggestions in the left-hand column.
Japanese barberry is a deciduous shrub in the barberry family (Berberidaceae) native to Asia. The genus name comes from the Latinized form of the Arabian name for the fruit. Specific epithet honors Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg who reportedly identified this species in Japan in 1784.
The shrub can grow 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide in a dense, rounded form. It does best in full sun but tolerates partial shade. It is very adaptable to most soils except wet, poorly drained ones. It is drought, deer and urban tolerant. It will spread by root suckers and by seed that is spread by birds eating the berries.
In mid to late spring, the yellow flowers appear in clusters and are followed by showy red berries that may persist into winter. The leaves are slightly blue-green to reddish and exhibit good fall colors. The stems have a spine at each node.
This plant is listed as invasive in North Carolina. Please see native alternatives to the left.
Quick ID Hints:
- Stems with only a single spine at each node
- Fruit bright red berry often persisting in winter
- Red and green-leafed varieties
- Leaves deciduous, obovate to spatulate, entire
Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant is listed as invasive by the NC Invasive Plant Council. Having spines on its stems could be an issue for children but also for trash getting caught on the spines through the wind. With all this said, this plant does not have serious pest problems. Anthracnose, root rot, bacterial leaf spot, wilt, scale, barberry webworm, and aphids are some problems that this plant may struggle with. See native alternatives to the left.
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Floricyle Xeriscape Garden for a Dry, Sunny Site
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Admiration'
Intense red-orange leaves often have yellow margins
'Aurea'
- 'Concorde'
Compact shrub with deep purple leaves - 'Crimson Pygmy'
Dwarf with reddish-purple foliage - 'Fireball'
Compact shrub with bright red leaves - 'Golden Ring'
Reddish-purple leaves with a yellow-green border - 'Gold Pillar'
- 'Orange Rocket'
- 'Rose Glow'
New growth pinkish with white mottling. Matures to deep reddish-purple - 'Royal Burgundy™'
Dwarf with deep burgundy leaves
var. atropurpurea
- WorryFree® Series
Four sterile cultivars are Crimson Cutie®, Lemon Cutie®, Lemon Glow®, Mr. Green Genes®
Shrub with yellow-green leaves. Sterile
Purple or red leaf forms - 'Admiration'
- 'Admiration', 'Aurea', 'Concorde', 'Crimson Pygmy', 'Fireball', 'Golden Ring', 'Gold Pillar', 'Orange Rocket', 'Rose Glow', 'Royal Burgundy™', var. atropurpurea, WorryFree® Series
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Admiration'
Intense red-orange leaves often have yellow margins
'Aurea'
- 'Concorde'
Compact shrub with deep purple leaves - 'Crimson Pygmy'
Dwarf with reddish-purple foliage - 'Fireball'
Compact shrub with bright red leaves - 'Golden Ring'
Reddish-purple leaves with a yellow-green border - 'Gold Pillar'
- 'Orange Rocket'
- 'Rose Glow'
New growth pinkish with white mottling. Matures to deep reddish-purple - 'Royal Burgundy™'
Dwarf with deep burgundy leaves
var. atropurpurea
- WorryFree® Series
Four sterile cultivars are Crimson Cutie®, Lemon Cutie®, Lemon Glow®, Mr. Green Genes®
Shrub with yellow-green leaves. Sterile
Purple or red leaf forms - 'Admiration'
- 'Admiration', 'Aurea', 'Concorde', 'Crimson Pygmy', 'Fireball', 'Golden Ring', 'Gold Pillar', 'Orange Rocket', 'Rose Glow', 'Royal Burgundy™', var. atropurpurea, WorryFree® Series
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Berberis
- Species:
- thunbergii
- Family:
- Berberidaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Settlers used this plant to make dye.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Asia (Japan)
- Wildlife Value:
- Birds eat the berries.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- some shade, heat, drought, urban conditions, range of soil types, erosion, slightly salt tolerant; seldom damaged by deer
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 7 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Oval
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Medium
- Appendage:
- Thorns
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- 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 Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Very Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- This plant has 0.3"-1", bright, and glossy red berries in the fall. Persisting into winter, this is an ellipsoidal berry.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Umbel
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 2-3 rays/petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- This plant has 0.3- to 0.5-in., pale yellow flowers in late spring (April to May) that are often hidden under the foliage growing in racemes. The drooping inflorescence has a subumbellate arrangement, is grouped in sets of 2-5, is weakly fetid, and has pedicels.
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Variegated
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Obovate
- Spatulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- This plant has alternate, simple, and bright green leaves that are 0.5 to 1.3 in. long. Growing in the spine axil, the leaves are narrow at the base. The leaves have bright red to orange fall color. Other colors that the leave may be are foliage green, variegated, reddish-purple, and yellowish. Clustered on dwarf shoots, the leaves are obovate to spatulate-oblong in shape with entire margins.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Smooth/Hairless
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Description:
- Numerous angular dark brown stems with slightly curved spines. Older stems are gray and twigs and young stems turn reddish brown in winter. Inner bark yellow.
-
-
Landscape:
- Attracts:
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Erosion
- Heat
- Salt
- Urban Conditions
- Problems:
- Invasive Species
- Problem for Children
- Spines/Thorns
- Weedy
