Ankle- to knee-high mounds of deep purple, lime-green or almost-black leaves, each node armed with a sharp thorn: that is dwarf barberry (Berberis thunbergii), the neatest choice for low hedges, edging and containers. Give most cultivars full sun and they hold their colour, while keeping rabbits, deer and intruders out.
| Name | Berberis thunbergii |
|---|---|
| Family | Berberidaceae |
| Type | shrub |
| Height | 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 centimeters) |
| Planting distance | 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) |
| Exposure | full sun to part sun |
| Soil | ordinary, well-drained, tolerates poor and dry |
| Foliage | deciduous or evergreen depending on species |
| Flowering | mid-spring to late spring |
| Hardiness | -30 to -20°F (-34 to -29°C) |
– ½ to 1½ feet (15 to 45 cm)
Main types – Japanese barberry, hybrids
Barberry usually grows taller than a person. Some varieties, however, only reach ankle or knee height. These make for excellent low hedges or even indoor Berberis!
Here are the different types of dwarf barberry shrubs.
The most common dwarf barberries are among the Berberis thunbergii varieties.
Several cultivars can be found in garden stores. Many more exist in botanical and ornamental gardens. Indeed, this plant was introduced to the West from Japan in the 1800s’, so it’s fairly widespread at this point.
Not all Japanese barberries are small! Some grow to nearly 5 feet tall (1½ meters).
Here are the most notable dwarf Berberis thunbergii cultivars.
‘Crimson Pygmy’ – also called ‘Atropurpurea Nana’. This variety is deep purple color and never grows taller than 2 feet (60 cm) tall.
‘Orange Ice’ – stunning burning-ember-like orange tower. A little over two feet tall for one foot wide (65 cm tall for 40 cm wide). Amazing burst of color, especially in front of a deep green yew backdrop.
‘Barney’ or Sidekicks ™ – Deep wine-red color, lightening to fiery orange in fall. Among the shorter varieties, topping out at 1 ½ feet (45 cm) but easily kept under 1 foot (30 cm).
‘Red Tower’ – Not exactly a dwarf because it grows to slightly over 2 feet (70cm), but since its only half as wide as it is tall, it’s perfect for hort hedges and container separators on a terrace or shared balcony.
‘Mimi’, marketed as Sunjoy ® Mini salsa – Old growth is deep green, new growth is cherry red, exactly like the photinia shrub. 1 to 2 feet tall (30 to 60 cm).
‘Rosy Rocket’ – another variation of the atropurpurea family. Energetic, reaching fronds with leaves that have a metallic red-pink sheen. Grows slightly more than 3 feet tall (1 meter).
‘Criruzam’ or Crimson ruby ® – Perhaps the closest to a blood-red boxwood you can ever get. Wonderfully easy to prune within the two-foot plant range (60 cm).
‘Fireball’ – a cultivar selected in Czech Republic from crosspollination between an ‘Atropurpurea Nana’ and a ‘Goldalita’ Berberis thunbergii. 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm).
‘Ruby Star’ – a tiny, strawberry-like red color, growing one foot (30 cm) tall. Each leaf has a thin variegated white or pale yellow rim that is mesmerizing.
‘Lime Star’ – Lemon yellow-green leaves and a nice, round shape that maxes out at 1¾ feet (50 cm) wide and tall.
‘Grhozam’ sold under the Green Hornet ™ trademark – bright green foliage, excellent for edges. Alternate with lavender which complements it well in color and blooming. Same size, too, around 18 inches (45 cm).
‘Goldalita’ – Young foliage is pale yellow, turns lime green with time. Nearly two feet tall. Grows wider, sending up shoots from roots, but not taller (55 cm).
‘Lena’ – Almost neon green, very beautiful in full sun. Stays small at under two feet (50-60 cm).
‘Anna’ – Barely reaching ⅔ of a foot (20 cm). Ideal for ground cover, perfect for designing motives along the ground with its yellow color. Young leaves dot the surface with red, magnificent.
‘Lakatos Nana’ – tiny, almost black leaves. In winter, interspersed with small bright red berries, making this shrub look like a black cotoneaster… in miniature! Doesn’t even reach 1 foot high (10 inches or 25 cm).
Most garden centres stock only a dozen or so dwarf barberries, and they differ mainly in leaf colour, habit and how much sun they need to keep that colour. Use the table below to match a cultivar to the edging, low hedge or container you have in mind.
| Variety | Foliage colour | Habit and size band | Best position | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Bagatelle’ | Bronze-purple | Very dwarf, dense cushion | Full sun | Rockery, containers |
| ‘Concorde’ | Dark violet-purple, burgundy-red leafage | Very dwarf, compact, never taller than 2 ft (60 cm) | Full sun | Containers, tight edging; virtually all seeds sterile and won’t germinate, like ‘Gentry’ |
| ‘Orange Rocket’ | Coral-orange new growth | Medium, narrow and upright | Full sun | Narrow hedge, container column |
| ‘Cherry Bomb’ (‘Monomb’) | Bright red-purple, bright red like the Bigarreau cherry; new growth more vivid than old growth | Dwarf to medium, rounded, reaches over 3 ft (1 m) | Full sun | Low hedge, shrub bed |
| ‘Pygruzam’ (Pygmy Ruby ™) | Bright red, similar to ‘Cherry Bomb’ | Dwarf, half as tall as ‘Cherry Bomb’, 1 ft 6 in (45 cm) | — | — |
| ‘Green Carpet’ | Green, red autumn tints | Dwarf, wide-spreading | Sun to part shade | Ground cover, banks |
| ‘Atropurpurea Nana’ (Crimson Pygmy) | Deep purple-red | Dwarf, rounded, under 1 m | Full sun | Low hedge, edging |
| ‘Golden Nugget’ ™ (‘Monlers’) | Pale yellow-green | One of the smallest, low mound, barely 1 ft (30 cm) | Sun to light shade | Rockery, troughs |
| ‘Aurea’ (‘Aurea Nana’) | Pale yellow almost to the point of gold — “Aurea” is Latin for “Gold” | Dwarf to medium, upright-bushy, 2 to 3 ft tall | Sun, shelter from scorching midday sun | Bright contrast in beds; minimally invasive, but sometimes banned simply for being a Japanese barberry |
| ‘Corallina Compacta’ (‘Coral Hedge’, a Berberis x stenophylla hybrid) | Evergreen dark green, narrow leaves like those of rosemary; orange-red buds and wonderful orange-red flowers | Dwarf, compact, around 1½ ft (45 cm) | Sun to part shade | Evergreen low hedge, rockery |
| ‘Helmond Pillar’ | Purple | Medium, columnar | Full sun | Vertical accent, slim screen |
| ‘Royal Burgundy’ ® (‘Gentry’) | Burgundy, darkening in autumn | Dwarf, spreading mound, 2 ft (60 cm) tall | Full sun | Low hedge, mass planting; grown from ‘Crimson Pygmy’ and nearly sterile (few fruits with germinating seeds), a possibility wherever invasive Japanese barberry is banned |
| ‘Admiration’ (B. thunbergii forma atropurpurea ‘Admiration’) | Finely chiseled leaves, warm punch-red with a thin yellow margin, like a work of art | Dwarf, neat mound, 2 ft (60 cm) tall | Full sun | Front of border, pots |
| ‘Bonanza Gold’ (‘Bogozam’, Golden Treasure ™) | Lime-green, scorch-resistant | Dwarf, dense mound, 2 ft tall, bushy stems branching out densely | Full sun | Edging, low hedge |
| ‘Kobold’ | Fresh green, orange in autumn | Dwarf, dense and twiggy | Sun to part shade | Clipped low hedge |
Berberis hybrids, wonderful options
Several hybrids are also known to stay very small, even without much pruning.
‘William Penn’ barberry – A Berberis x gladwynensis barberry hybrid. Quickly grows to 4 feet (1¼ meter), then slows. Long, far-reaching fronds with cute yellow flowers.
Barberry is often used to grow defensive hedges. The sharp thorns that grow at each leaf node keep intruders away! Dwarf barberry is no exception.
Birds love barberry because these thorns provide protection from predators, especially during the nesting period.
You’ll often find that vulnerable animals take refuge in its leaves. Occasionally, the seeds are gobbled up by passing birds. However, this is often towards the end of winter, when food is scarce. The berry isn’t what birds prefer! Add it as part of a mixed hedge for variety.
Read more about barberry:
Plant your dwarf barberry as a low mixed hedge or edge around the vegetable patch. It will keep rabbits and deer away!
Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois):
Green ‘Bogozam’ dwarf barberry by F. D. Richards under © CC BY-SA 2.0
Deep violet dwarf barberry by Megan Hansen under © CC BY-SA 2.0
Crimson Pygmy barberry shrub by K M under © CC BY 2.0
