<em>Berberis</em>, thorny barberry: planting, pruning and care

Description and botany

Barberries are bushes native to the Far East, the Andean regions of South America and, for a few species such as Berberis vulgaris, Europe. Genus contains more than 400 species, North American species now classified in genus Mahonia. They are still called barberry, barberry bush or pisse-vinaigre, because the coral-red, juicy and very acidic fruits of Berberis vulgaris in particular were formerly used to make a wine called vinettier. They were also pickled in vinegar like capers or eaten as jam or syrup. This species, present from France to central Russia and north‑eastern Turkey, has spread to North America where it has become invasive. It is feared by wheat growers who conduct removal campaigns because it harbours wheat rust, a fungus that needs Berberis to complete its life cycle.

The Berberis vulgaris, forming a bush with arching branches reaching 3 m high, is widespread in lowlands and mid‑altitudes up to 2000 m, particularly on rich, calcareous soil. This bush can live 30 to 50 years. But this species is rarely planted for horticultural purposes, supplanted by more compact, floriferous varieties with colourful foliage such as thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea’ or thunbergii ‘Harlequin’ with young shoots red‑orange turning pink (actually purple variegated with cream) which also develop beautiful autumn colours.

Berberis buxifolia – botanical illustration

Evergreen species of Berberis are a little less hardy (-15°C) than deciduous ones (-35°C). They form a dense bush between 1 and 3 m often extended by a tangle of arching branches that makes a barberry hedge impenetrable. Birds find protection there from predators. Leaves are alternate, leathery, glossy green, dentate and sometimes even spiny on the margins like holly. Lamina length varies from 1 to 2 cm in Berberis darwinii to 4 cm in linearifolia. Branches are also armed with thorns arranged in threes, derived from transformed leaves.

Flowers of Berberis are often yellow or orange, sometimes cream or reddish, 3 to 15 mm in diameter and grouped in clusters, solitary or sometimes in umbels. Six yellow sepals, preceded by three prophyllums shaped like scales, fall quickly after opening. What remains are six petals bearing nectariferous glands, with six stamens and a pistil. Flowering, generally scented, is very melliferous, attracting many pollinators in early spring.

Fruits are small berries, round or elongated, often very decorative in autumn, tinted pink, red or blue‑black, tangy, sometimes flavoursome, containing one or more pips. Berries of Berberis vulgaris are eaten dried in Iran under the name zereshk but also used as jam, jelly or syrup.

Name Berberis was given by Carl Linnaeus who believed the bush to be native to region where Berbers live (Algeria).

Berberis thunbergii : flowering and fruiting (photo Clint Budd – Flickr)

Main varieties of Berberis

Notable evergreen varieties

Notable deciduous varieties

Berberis darwinii Compacta - Barberry

Dwarf form of Berberis darwinii, very compact, perfect as groundcover, in a low hedge, in a rockery or in a pot on the terrace. Small glossy dark green leaves produce attractive spring and autumn flowering of vivid orange-yellow. Decorative bush, undemanding and low-maintenance, hardy down to -15°C, tolerant of poor, dry soils and sea spray.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 90 cm

See the product sheet

Berberis x frikartii Amstelveen - Barberry

This Berberis hybrid has a spreading habit with large glossy very dark green leaves, slightly thorny, turning red in autumn with cold. Pale yellow flowering in April–May. Excellent all-purpose groundcover to ornament a slope or the top of a wall year-round, and well suited to container growing.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 1,30 m

See the product sheet

Berberis x media Red Jewel - Barberry

Compact thorny bush with semi-evergreen rounded foliage, a handsome deep red in spring that gradually turns dark green. Spring flowering golden-yellow. Ideal for a defensive hedge mixed with abelia.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 2 m

See the product sheet

Berberis thunbergii Thunderbolt

Thunberg variety, exceptionally evergreen, with very dark glossy brown-purple foliage that showcases abundant yellow flowers streaked with red in May–June, followed by purple berries. Dense, low habit particularly suited to small spaces and containers.

• Flowering time May to July
• Height at maturity 90 cm

See the product sheet

Berberis thunbergii Bagatelle - Barberry

Dwarf thorny bush, remarkable for its very glossy dark purple foliage studded with pale yellow flowers tinged with red in spring. Use in low hedges, as groundcover or as a specimen. Suits pruning into a ball shape.

• Flowering time February
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

Berberis thunbergii Golden Carpet - Barberry

Excellent low-thorn groundcover, cold-hardy and tolerant of chalky, fairly poor soils. Leaves emerging golden-yellow to chartreuse before turning orange in autumn. Ideal to brighten a semi-shaded spot or for container growing.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

 

Berberis thunbergii Admiration - Barberry

Superb compact thorny bush, very striking, with light purple leaves edged with yellow that turn red-orange in autumn. Forms a lovely combination with pieris and herbaceous peonies.

• Flowering time June
• Height at maturity 1,20 m

See the product sheet

Berberis thunbergii Orange Rocket - Barberry

Thorny bush with an upright habit, foliage spectacular in spring, moving from bright orange to fresh green as it matures, then to vivid red in autumn. Discreet yellow spring flowering followed by production of small bright red berries.

• Flowering time June
• Height at maturity 1,50 m

See the product sheet

Planting

Where to plant Berberis?

Barberries tolerate pollution well and, with few exceptions, suit all types of soil from fresh to dry, provided they are well drained, even poor and calcareous. However, Berberis darwinii prefers fresh clay soils, neutral to acidic, humus-bearing or light, but tolerates drought very well once established.

A sunny position favours intense colouring of deciduous foliage and flowering, but Berberis remain adaptable and will make do with partial shade in the Midi and west of France. Evergreen species prefer partial shade rather than full sun and a sheltered position protected from wind. Slightly less cold-hardy than deciduous species (−15°C compared with −40°C for B. x ottawensis), they do, however, tolerate sea spray. Late frosts sometimes affect young shoots but plant sends out new shoots without problem.

When to plant?

Plant Berberis preferably in autumn to ensure deep rooting before summer drought. Planting container-grown young plants can, however, be done all year round except during frost or drought.

How to plant?

Choose specimens not too large, 30–40 cm, to ensure good establishment. Wear thick gloves, goggles and sturdy clothing to protect against sharp thorns.

When planting, the planting hole should be twice the diameter of the rootball. Space Berberis about 1 m apart. Add some potting soil and water well. It is a bush that does not require pruning, but tolerates light pruning after flowering. It can be cut back from time to time to prevent it becoming bare in the centre. Take care not to handle branches with bare hands as they bear thorns that are difficult to remove once embedded in the skin.

• Dig a planting hole twice the diameter of the rootball and 30–40 cm deep. Dig a trench when planting a hedge.
• Add a 10 cm drainage layer (gravel, sand…) if your soil is clay.
• Add manure, compost or potting soil if ground is poor.
• Place the young plant in the planting hole. To create a Berberis hedge, space plants 60, 80 or 100 cm apart depending on vigour of variety. Dwarf rockery varieties, especially if trimmed into balls, can be spaced 40 cm apart.
• Replace soil and firm lightly.
• Feel free to cut back shoots by about a quarter of their length to encourage denser branching.
• Water thoroughly.
• Apply a generous layer of mulch around the base to keep roots cool and reduce the chore of weeding in somewhat inhospitable conditions!

The purple colour of Berberis thunbergii ‘Rosy Glow’ contrasts with green foliage of a low hedge of Taxus baccata

Pruning and care

Water regularly during first two years, especially during hot, dry periods. This bush requires no other maintenance than pruning if you want a neat hedge.

Pruning Berberis

For evergreen species (buxifolia, candidula, darwinii, stenophylla, verruculosa…) planted in beds, carry out a light balancing prune just after spring flowering, as flowering takes place on previous year’s wood or older. Removing flowers prevents enjoying berries, which are black or bluish in this group. It is possible to cut back oldest branches every 3–4 years except on darwinii and stenophylla.

Prune deciduous species (thunbergii, ottawensis) trained as a hedge every year in March or more often, to encourage foliage. If you want to enjoy the red berries, leave your bush, planted at back of bed or as a specimen, to grow freely. It is also possible to cut back entire young plant (resulting in no flowers for at least 2 years) or only oldest branches to rejuvenate it from the base every 3–4 years in winter.

→ Find out more about pruning Berberis in our advice sheet

Possible diseases and pests

In well-drained soil, Berberis are rarely affected by diseases (occasional signs of powdery mildew and rust which are controlled by avoiding wetting foliage). Horsetail manure can be applied against rust. They also tolerate pollution well.

Take care near wheat fields as Berberis can contaminate them with rust. Some countries regulate this bush.

→ Find out more about diseases and pests of Berberis in our advice sheet !

Propagation: propagating Berberis

You can easily multiply Berberis by layering, burying part of a shoot, or by propagation by cuttings.

Propagation by cuttings

For all Berberis, take heel cuttings in August–September from semi-ripe shoots. Deciduous species can also be propagated by cuttings in late spring from young herbaceous shoots.

Prepare a deep pot by filling it with potting compost mixed with sand, or take cuttings directly into open ground if soil is light, after aerating it with a fork and spade, then moistening.

• Take shoots 10 cm long.
• Remove leaves near base of cutting as well as thorns.
• Dip base in plant hormone.
• Insert cuttings into nursery under cold frame.
• Repot young plants the following spring into compost enriched with garden soil.
• Plant them in garden in autumn.

Uses and associations

Berberis x ottawensis and thunbergii Atropurpurea are commonly used as medium to large hedging plants. These large deciduous Berberis, planted at the back of a border and left to grow naturally, can also provide a striking splash of colour — more or less flashy depending on cultivar — in spring, summer and especially autumn. To complete a defensive hedge, mix barberry with European or Provence gorse (Ulex parviflorus), Japanese quince, holly, Rugosa roses, Poncirus trifoliata with white, citrus-scented flowers…

An example of a planting in partial shade: Berberis thunbergii, Aruncus dioïcus ‘Sylvestris’, Dryopteris filix-mas, Iris pseudacorus, Lysimachia punctata, Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegata’, Hosta ‘Old Glory’, Astilbe simplicifolia ‘Hennie Graafland’

Berberis can also be paired with flowering bushes such as Forsythia intermedia ‘Spectabilis’, Abelia, Deutzia, Escallonia…

Specimens notable for their habit such as Berberis ‘Green Carpet’ and ‘Tiny Gold’ can create a colourful checkerboard in a rockery, on a slope or in a container garden, alongside Nandina ‘Fire Power’ with purple tones, silvery shrubby artemisias, Juniperus x media ‘Blaauw’ with blue-green hues, etc. They can also be planted in a bed of compact bushes composed of Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ or ‘Petite Garden’, and landscape roses which they will support with their flowering.

An example of a sparkling combination: Rose ‘Lavender Dream’, Geranium ‘Rozanne’, Berberis thunbergii ‘Aurea Nana’

Small Berberis thunbergii Atropurpurea ‘Nana’ or ‘Bagatelle’ can punctuate borders with charming 30 cm-diameter purple spheres.

Evergreen Berberis darwinii can easily replace Pyracantha in a medium-sized defensive hedge, which should not be excessively pruned: its naturally dense, tidy habit does not require it. If its berries are less spectacular than those of Pyracantha, it has the advantage of remaining modest in size and flowering twice, while offering more elegant foliage. It also deserves to be grown alongside variegated foliage or positioned in front of a large rainbow backdrop made up of Ceanothus ‘Puget Blue’, pink, mauve or white Abelias, Japanese quince with red flowers, Kerria japonica, Genista ‘Lena’ or climbing honeysuckle ‘Dropmore Scarlet’ with yellow-orange tones. Some, with great originality, even train it into a small single-trunk tree by clearing a trunk and regular pruning of shoots.

Small compact bushes of 1 to 1.20 m such as Berberis thunbergii ‘Admiration’ or ‘Orange Rocket’ can form a low hedge, alongside golden- or silver-leaved bushes. They can also enhance a bed of perennials such as herbaceous peonies flowering in May–June.

→ Find out more about associations with Berberis.