Berberis, barberry: planting, pruning and care

Description and botany

Berberis are bushes native to the Far East, the Andean regions of South America and, for a few species such as vulgaris, Europe. Genus comprises over 400 species, North American species now classed in genus Mahonia. They are still called barberry, barberry bush or sour-berry, because the coral-red, juicy and very acidic fruits of Berberis vulgaris in particular were once used to make a wine called vinettier. They were also pickled in vinegar like capers or eaten as jam or syrup. This species, occurring from France to central Russia and north-east Turkey, has spread to North America and become invasive. It is also feared by wheat growers, who carry out eradication campaigns because it hosts wheat rust, a fungus that needs Berberis to complete its lifecycle.

Le Berberis vulgaris, formant un buisson à rameaux arqués atteignant 3 m de haut, est très répandu en plaine et moyenne montagne jusqu’à 2000 m d’altitude en particulier sur sol riche et calcaire. L’arbuste peut vivre 30 à 50 ans. Mais cette espèce est rarement plantée dans un but horticole, supplantée par des variétés plus compactes, florifères, aux feuillages colorés comme thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea’ ou thunbergii ‘Harlequin’ à jeunes pousses rouge orangé virant au rose (pourpre panaché de crème pour être exact) qui adoptent aussi de beaux coloris automnaux.

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 1–3 m tall, often extended by a tangle of arching shoots that makes a barberry hedge impenetrable. Birds find protection there from predators. Leaves alternate, leathery, glossy green, dentate and sometimes even thorny on the margins like holly. Lamina size varies from 1–2 cm long in Berberis darwinii to 4 cm in linearifolia. Shoots are also armed with thorns arranged in threes, derived from transformed leaves.

Flowers of Berberis are often yellow or orange, sometimes cream or reddish, 3–15 mm in diameter and grouped in clusters, solitary or sometimes in umbels. The six yellow sepals, preceded by three scale-like prophyllums, fall quickly after opening. Remaining are six petals bearing nectariferous glands, six stamens and a pistil. Flowering, generally scented, is very melliferous and attracts many pollinators in early spring.

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

Name Berberis was given by Carl von Linnée, who believed the bush originated in the region inhabited by the Berbers (Algeria).

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

Main varieties of Berberis

Remarkable evergreen varieties

Remarkable deciduous varieties

Berberis darwinii Compacta - Barberry

Dwarf form of Berberis darwinii, very compact, perfect as groundcover, in a low hedge, rockery or in a container on the terrace. Small glossy dark green foliage bears a lovely bright orange-yellow spring and autumn flowering. Decorative bush, undemanding and low-maintenance, hardy to -15°C, tolerant of poor, dry soils and salt spray.

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

See the full description

Berberis x frikartii Amstelveen - Barberry

Berberis hybrid with a spreading habit and large glossy very dark green leaves, sparsely thorny, reddening in autumn with cold. Pale yellow flowering in April–May. Forms a robust all-terrain groundcover to adorn a bank or the top of a low wall year-round and adapts very well to container cultivation.

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

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Berberis x media Red Jewel - Barberry

Compact thorny bush offering semi-evergreen, rounded foliage in an attractive dark red in spring, gradually turning dark green. Spring flowering golden yellow. Ideal for defensive hedging mixed with Abelia.

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

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Berberis thunbergii Thunderbolt

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

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

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Berberis thunbergii Bagatelle - Barberry

Dwarf thorny bush, notable for 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 well to pruning into a ball.

• Flowering time February
• Height at maturity 40 cm

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Berberis thunbergii Golden Carpet - Barberry

Excellent, sparsely thorny groundcover, cold-hardy and tolerant of calcareous, fairly poor soils. Leaves emerge golden yellow to chartreuse before turning orange in autumn. Ideal to brighten a semi-shaded spot or for container culture.

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

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Berberis thunbergii Admiration - Barberry

Superb compact thorny bush, very sculptural, with pale purple leaves edged with yellow turning red-orange in autumn. Creates a lovely combination with pieris and herbaceous peonies.

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

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Berberis thunbergii Orange Rocket - Barberry

Thorny bush with upright habit, foliage flamboyant in spring, progressing from bright orange to tender green at ripeness then bright red in autumn. Discreet spring flowering yellow, followed by production of small bright red berries.

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

See the full description

Planting

Where to plant Berberis?

Barberries tolerate pollution well and, with few exceptions, suit almost any type of soil from fresh to dry, provided it is well drained, including poor and calcareous soils. The species Berberis darwinii, however, prefers fresh clay soils, neutral to acidic, humus-bearing or light, but tolerates drought very well once well established.

A sunny position favours intense colouring of deciduous foliage as well as flowering, but Berberis remain adaptable and are content with partial shade in southern and western France. Evergreen species prefer partial shade rather than full sun and a position sheltered from winds. Slightly less hardy to cold than deciduous species (hardy to around -15°C versus -40°C for B. x ottawensis), they nevertheless tolerate sea spray. Late frosts sometimes affect young shoots but the plant readily produces new shoots.

When to plant?

Plant Berberis preferably in autumn to ensure deep rooting before summer drought. Planting young plants in containers can, however, be done at any time of year except during frost or drought.

How to plant?

Choose specimens not too large, about 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 root ball. Space Berberis about 1 m apart. Add some potting compost and water well. This bush does not require pruning but tolerates it after flowering, provided pruning is not too severe. It can be cut back from time to time to prevent the centre becoming bare. Take care not to handle branches with bare hands as they bear thorns that are difficult to remove once they have pierced the skin.

• Dig a planting hole, twice the diameter of the root ball and 30–40 cm deep. Dig a trench when planting a hedge.
• Add a 10 cm drainage layer (gravel, sand…) if your soil is clayey.
• Add manure, compost or potting compost if soil is poor.
• Place the young plant in the planting hole. To create a Berberis hedge, space young plants 60, 80 or 100 cm apart depending on vigour of the variety. Dwarf rockery varieties, especially if pruned into balls, can be spaced 40 cm apart.
• Replace the soil and firm gently.
• Don’t hesitate to cut back shoots by about 1/4 of their length to densify the branches.
• Water generously.
• Lay a good layer of mulch at the base to keep roots cool and avoid the chore of weeding in a somewhat inhospitable environment!

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

Pruning and care

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

Pruning Berberis

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

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

→ Find out more about pruning Berberis in our advice sheet

Potential diseases and pests

In well-drained soil, berberis are rarely affected by diseases (occasionally traces of powdery mildew and rust, which are prevented by avoiding wetting the foliage). Horsetail manure can be applied against rust. They also tolerate pollution very well.

Be careful near a wheat field because Berberis can infect it with rust. Some countries impose controls on this bush.

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

Propagation: propagate Berberis from cuttings

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

Propagation by cuttings

Carry out for all Berberis in August–September with heel cuttings taken from semi-ripe shoots. Deciduous species can also be propagated in late spring using young herbaceous cuttings.

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

• Take shoots 10 cm in length.
• Remove leaves near base of cutting as well as thorns.
• Dip base in plant rooting hormone.
• Insert cuttings in nursery bed under cold frame.
• Pot on young plants the following spring into a substrate 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 hedge plants. These large deciduous Berberis, placed at back of a border and left to grow naturally, can also provide a lovely splash of colour — more or less flashy depending on cultivar — in spring and summer but especially in autumn. To complete a defensive hedge, mix barberry with gorse of Europe or Provence (Ulex parviflorus), with Japanese quince, hollies, rugosa roses, with Poncirus trifoliata with white, citrus-scented flowers…

An example of a partial-shade combination: 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 combine well with flowering bushes such as Forsythia intermedia Spectabilis, abelias, Deutzia, Escallonia…

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

A vibrant example of a planting: Rosa ‘Lavender Dream’, Geranium ‘Rozanne’, Berberis thunbergii ‘Aurea Nana’

Small Berberis thunbergii Atropurpurea ‘Nana’ or ‘Bagatelle’ can punctuate borders with cute purple spheres about 30 cm in diameter.

Evergreen Berberis darwinii can perfectly replace Pyracantha in a medium-sized defensive hedge, which should not be over-pruned: its naturally dense, tidy habit does not require it. If its berries are less spectacular than those of Pyracantha, it has advantage of maintaining modest dimensions and flowering twice, while offering more elegant foliage. But it also deserves to be placed near variegated foliage or positioned in front of a large rainbow screen made up of Ceanothus ‘Puget Blue’, pink, mauve or white Abelia, Japanese quince with red flowers, Kerria japonica, Genêt ‘Lena’ or climbing honeysuckle ‘Dropmore Scarlet’ in yellow‑orange tones. Some, with great originality, even train it as a small single-trunk tree by clearing a trunk and regularly pruning the shoots.

Small compact bushes of 1 to 1.20 m such as Berberis thunbergii ‘Admiration’ or ‘Orange Rocket’ can form a low hedge, alongside bushes with golden or silvery foliage. They can also showcase a bed of perennials such as herbaceous paeonies flowering in May–June.

→ Learn more about pairings with Berberis.