A thorn bush whose spring flowers range from pink and white through yellow to orange, above leafage that may be green or purple, berberis — barberry — grows 3 to 10 feet tall and is unrivalled for defensive hedges and shrub beds. Give it full or part sun in ordinary soil and it asks for nothing else.
| Name | Berberis |
|---|---|
| Family | Berberidaceae |
| Type | shrub |
| Height | 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 m) |
| Exposure | full sun, part sun |
| Soil | ordinary |
| Foliage | deciduous or persistent |
| Flowering | spring |
The planting, pruning and care will ensure the proper development of your berberis.
It is best to plant berberis in fall to speed root development up.
Planting in spring is possible provided that regular watering over the first year after planting is foreseen.
Berberis is grown in several ways, and each one calls for its own spacing and its own pruning rhythm. This table sums up what changes from one use to the next.
| Use | Planting season | Pruning season | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive hedge | mid-autumn | mid-autumn and mid-spring | space plants at least 40 inches (1 m) apart |
| Standalone shrub | mid-autumn | mid-autumn | cut back by about ¼ of its height to boost flowering |
| Low hedge | mid-autumn | mid-autumn and mid-spring | choose small barberry varieties |
| Shrub bed | mid-autumn | mid-autumn | grown for leaf colour and spring bloom |
Mid-spring planting also works, as long as you water regularly through the first year.
For hedges, go for one pruning each in fall and spring to shape it into the silhouette you desire.
As a standalone, it can be pruned back in fall more or less by ¼ its height in order to boost blooming in spring.
Several small barberry varieties can be grown into low hedges, for the most beautiful effect.
This thorn bush encompasses several hundred species and this provides for a variety of shapes and colors.
Berberis, or barberry, can be found with either green or purple leafage and the blooming ranges from pink to white through yellow and orange.
This shrub’s hardiness deserves respect, and you won’t need to add any fertilizer or other maintenance amendments.
