Berberis thunbergii Erecta

The Berberis thunbergii 'Erecta' is a variety of barberry with a very upright habit and erect stems, in an inverted cone shape, narrow at the base and gradually widening towards the top, making it ideal for hedges, especially since it grows quickly. Its healthy foliage consists of golden oval leaves of medium green, turning red-orange in autumn. Small pale yellow flowers with red highlights appear in spring, followed by bright red berries in autumn. This deciduous shrub, very hardy and accommodating, is ideal for hedges, thanks to its vertical growth. Still, if left to grow without intervention, it takes on a more open and rounded habit with age.

The Berberis thunbergii, also known as Japanese barberry or Thunberg's barberry, is a shrub from the Berberidaceae family native to Japan. It is characterized by bushy, spreading, low habit, and deciduous foliage in winter or almost evergreen in mild climates. It is a hardy and low-maintenance plant, water-efficient, and tolerant of limestone soils.

On the contrary, the cultivar 'Erecta', created in the United States in 1935, has a narrow, very dense, slightly stiff habit supported by vertical branches. It reaches about 1.50 m in height with a spread of 90 cm at maturity. The young branches are equipped with mildly aggressive thorns. The foliage consists of glossy leaves measuring 3 cm long, oval to rounded. The colour is bright green in spring, taking on a darker shade in summer. In April-May, clusters of 1 to 6 small flowers bloom on 1-year-old stems. The bell-shaped flowers, 1 cm long, are a soft yellow slightly streaked with red. They are highly nectariferous and are followed in September-October by small spherical bright red fruits, 6 to 8 mm long, which persist on the branches for part of the winter. The foliage takes on a beautiful reddish-orange colour before falling.

The 'Erecta' Japanese barberry is a tolerant shrub to different soil types and withstands pruning well. It appreciates the sun, but to avoid too intense exposures, especially in spring and summer midday, it is planted in partial shade in regions where it is necessary. Its foliage blends perfectly with a colour palette ranging from red to yellow, orange, and blue to create a colourful mixed hedge. Plant it alongside shrubs such as pink-flowered Kolkwitzia and red-flowered Japanese quinces, not forgetting the yellow to orange flowers of Kerria japonica or the blue flowers of Ceanothus thyrsifolius repens, for example. It can also be used with colourful evergreen foliage or in other shades of green.