Featured Plant of The Day: Japanese Barberry

Berberis thunbergii 'Kobold'

Japanese Barberry

Type Shrub, groundcover, woody plant

Hardy range 4A to 7B

Height 12" to 24" / 30cm to 60cm

Spread 36" to 4' / 90cm to 1.20m

Growth rate Slow

Form Prostrate and rounded

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Semi-evergreen

Bloom Color Yellow

Bloom Time Spring

Environment This plant tolerates some drought and a little salt.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green
Fall Color Orange and red
This plant has attractive foliage and attractive fall colors.



Landscape Uses
-    Container plantings
-    Rock garden
-    Border
-    Foundation planting
-    Massing
-    Groundcover
-    Erosion control



Attributes and Features
-    Pest tolerant
-    Persistent fruit
-    Fruit is edible by birds

Culture Notes Japanese Barberry is thorny, so it's useful for barrier plantings. The plant tolerates most light exposures and soils except poorly drained sites, but purple-leafed cultivars turn green in shade. This shrub grows slowly but transplants easily. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and spreads 4 to 7 feet. Japanese Barberry can be sheared and used as a hedge plant.
The main ornamental features are persistent red fruits and fall color in shades of red, orange and yellow. Some plants fruit more heavily than others. The plant produces yellow flowers, but these are not highly ornamental. Small size and lack of abundant blooms and fruit sets this cultivar apart from most other Barberries. Plants form a neat mound without pruning. Plants are not unlike boxwood or Japanese Holly. New foliage is deep green becoming dark green at maturity. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.
Planting and establishing shrubsThe most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Berberis thunbergii 'Bagatelle'

Japanese Barberry

Type Shrub, groundcover, woody plant

Hardy range 4A to 7B

Height 12" to 18" / 30cm to 45cm

Spread 12" to 24" / 30cm to 60cm

Growth rate Slow

Form Rounded and spreading or horizontal

Exposure Full shade to full sun

Persistence Semi-evergreen

Bloom Color Yellow

Bloom Time Spring

Environment This plant tolerates some drought and a little salt.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Purple
Fall Color Orange, red and yellow
This plant has attractive foliage and attractive fall colors.


Landscape Uses
-    Container plantings
-    Rock garden
-    Border
-    Foundation planting
-    Massing
-    Groundcover
-    Erosion control


Attributes and Features
-    Pest tolerant
-    Inconspicuous blooms
-    Persistent fruit
-    Attractive fruit
-    Fruit is edible by birds

Culture Notes Japanese Barberry is thorny, so it's useful for barrier plantings. The plant tolerates most light exposures and soils, but purple-leafed cultivars turn green in shade. This shrub grows slowly but transplants easily. Japanese Barberry can be sheared and used as a hedge plant.
The main ornamental features are persistent red fruits and fall color in shades of red, orange and yellow. This cultivar is a form of the variety atropurpurea and is more compact than many other cultivars. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.
Planting and establishing shrubsThe most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

 

Berberis thunbergii 'Helmond Pillar'
    Japanese Barberry

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    4A to 7B
Height    24" to 36" / 60cm to 90cm
Spread    12" to 18" / 30cm to 45cm
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Columnar
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Yellow
Bloom Time    Spring

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought and a little salt.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Purple
Fall Color    Orange and red
This plant has attractive foliage and attractive fall colors.

Landscape Uses
-    Container plantings
-    Rock garden
-    Border
-    Screen
-    Massing
-    Specimen

Attributes and Features
-    Pest tolerant
-    Inconspicuous blooms
-    Persistent fruit
-    Attractive fruit
-    Fruit is edible by birds

Culture Notes
Japanese Barberry is thorny, so it's useful for barrier plantings.  The plant tolerates most light exposures and soils, but purple-leafed cultivars turn green in shade.  This interesting shrub grows slowly but transplants easily.   Plants narrow toward the base. This is a cultivar of the variety atropurpurea and holds purple foliage well in the heat. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.