Melinda Myers

Japanese Barberry

Botanical Name

Berberis thunbergii

Min Zone

4

Max Zone

8

Height

3 to 6 feet

Width

4 to 7 feet

Flowers

Spring: yellow, not showy

Fruit

Bright red, elliptical berry

Fall Color

Orange, scarlet, reddish-purple

Light

Full sun

Soil

Tolerant of a wide range of soils, except wet

Planting & Care

• Transplants easily
• Drought and urban tolerant
• Best leaf color in full sun

Problems

Bacterial leaf spot, anthracnose, wilt, invasive in some parts of the country

Varieties

• Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea - red-purple leaves, good red fall color (seedling variability), flowers are tinged with purple
• Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea 'Crimson Pigmy' - red-purple foliage, short internodes 18 to 24 inches wide, 32 to 36 inches tall