Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

1-3', 3-6', 6-12'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Green, Purple, Red, White, Variegated

 

Bark Color

Brown, Red

 

Fruit Color

Orange, Red

 

Fruit Season

Fall

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Thorns/Spines

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Japanese, Mediterranean

 

Accenting Features

Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Hedge, Screen, Fire Resistant, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Japanese barberry is a deciduous shrub that is usually available as one of dozens of cultivars, all with some shared attributes, but each with its own character. All Japanese barberry have an upright, mounding to vase-shaped habit; small, oval to rounded leaves; bright red or orange torpedo-shaped little berries; and thorns. Leaf color varies with cultivar, as does fall color. Size also varieties, from little dwarfs under 2 feet tall to mounding shrubs 6 to 8 feet tall. Check the plant tag for details; depending on size, use in the front or backs of shrub borders. Avoid walkways and drives (remember those thorns). A great hedge plant (again, remember those thorns).

Grow in well drained soil in full sun; they will tolerate part shade, though purple-leafed forms may lose color intensity. Very adaptable to soil types and withstands dry soils; will not tolerate wet soils. Barberry is thorny, and as such, you don't really want to be needing to prune it, so place it where it will have the room it needs to grow. If you do need to control the size, prune selectively (see Guides).