Berberis thunbergii Maria - Barberry

Berberis thunbergii 'Maria' is a variety prized for its dwarf, perfectly columnar form and its dense foliage of bright golden yellow in spring, and orange in autumn! It bears clusters of pale yellow flowers striped with red in late spring which is quite insignificant but attracts a good number of pollinators. Compact and slow-growing, it is a deciduous shrub that requires little pruning and is best used to punctuate a bed or to add height to a container garden. Being perfectly tolerant of pruning, it is also used for creating low hedges. It is a robust variety with foliage that is completely resistant to powdery mildew. Hardy and tolerant, it can be planted in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soils, not too dry.

The Berberis thunbergii, also known as Japanese Barberry is a shrub in the family Berberidaceae, native to Japan. It is characterized by a bushy, spreading, and low habit, and deciduous foliage, almost evergreen in mild climates. The colouration of its foliage intensifies in full sunlight. Hardy and resistant to temporary droughts, it is a very easy shrub to grow in well-drained soils.

The cultivar 'Maria' is a slow-growing selection, reaching approximately 120cm (47.2in) in height and 50cm (19.7in) in width. The upright branches, ranging from beige to light brown, bear small thorns. Its compact columnar habit is the main attribute of this barberry. It has glossy, obovate leaves, measuring 2 to 3cm (0.8 - 1.2in) in length. At bud break, they show a golden yellow colour, then as they mature, they darken to become lemon green. In autumn, they turn orange, sometimes tinged with red, before falling. In May-June, numerous clusters of 1 to 6 small flowers bloom on 1-year-old stems. The bell-shaped flowers, 1cm (0.4in) long, are pale yellow marked with red. They are very nectar-rich and are followed in September-October by small bright red spherical fruits, 6 to 8mm (0.2 - 0.3in) long, which persist on the branches for part of the winter.

Barberry is a very adaptable shrub in terms of soil but prefers sunny exposures and tolerates pruning well. It is a shame to confine it to the role of a monochrome and anonymous defensive hedge shrub;where its personality is stifled and its naturally graceful habit is completely obscured. The elegant habit of 'Maria' deserves a prime location in front of larger shrubs, with pink flowers (Kolkwitzia, Abelia, Abeliophyllum distichum 'Roseum'), red flowers (Japanese Quinces, roses, Weigelas), or even yellow to orange flowers (Japanese Kerria, Genista 'Lena Orange', Honeysuckle 'Dropmore Scarlett'). To create striking contrast effects in the garden, it can also be combined with the red and purple foliage of other dwarf varieties of Berberis with a more spreading habit.