Berberis THUNBERGII

Berberis THUNBERGII - Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Barberry refers to shrubs of the Berberidaceae family. It most often grows in the form of shrubs, sometimes presenting as small trees. The maximum height of the shrub can reach up to 4 m (13 ft) in height. However, the average height is usually no more than 2 m (6.6 ft). The leaves have an oval ovate shape and reach up to 3 cm (1.2 in) in length. The flowers are yellow and small, from which red soft barberry berries of spindle-like shape are formed, the length of which ranges around 1 cm (0.4 in). The bark has a brown and occasionally gray-brown color. The leaves are arranged alternately and have short petioles. In color, they are dull green.

It is cultivated in gardens and occasionally found among shrubs in the north as far as St. Petersburg, as well as in southern and central Europe, Crimea, the Caucasus, Persia, Eastern Siberia, and North America. Some species are found in Central Asia, including the mountains of the Trans-Ili Alatau in Kazakhstan. They are winter-hardy, heat-tolerant, can be content with poor soil, do not tolerate stagnant moisture, and are quite light-demanding. They produce abundant stump shoots.

The plants tolerate urban conditions well. They are undemanding regarding soil conditions, drought-resistant, completely intolerant of stagnant moisture, develop better in the light, but also tolerate some shading. Most barberries are highly ornamental and are used in solitary or group plantings, living hedges, while low-growing species are used on rock gardens and as borders.

Japanese barberry is a shrub up to 1.5 m (5 ft) high, with a columnar crown shape; with age, the crown becomes fan-shaped. It grows rather slowly. The leaves are green, small, graceful, nearly rounded, 1-3 cm (0.4-1.2 in) long, tapering at the base into a short petiole. Autumn coloration is yellow-red or orange-red, vivid, blazing for a long time in October in an already bare autumn garden. It blooms in late May to early June. The flowers are solitary or gathered in inflorescences of several (2-5), yellow inside and red outside, arranged along the entire shoot. The fruits are ellipsoidal, numerous, red, ripening in September-October. They adorn the bush after the leaves fall, sometimes persisting on it all winter.

It is light-demanding, but tolerates partial shade. In shaded conditions, the crown falls apart somewhat. It is drought- and heat-resistant. It can grow on fairly dry and infertile soils. It tolerates urban conditions well. It is resistant to diseases and pests. It withstands shearing and rejuvenating pruning with coppicing well, after which it recovers nicely with an increase in ornamental value and preservation of a distinct columnar crown. Winter hardiness is high.

It is used in solitary and group plantings, to create shrub groups, as a vertical accent in tree-shrub and shrub compositions, as well as in compositions with coniferous and herbaceous plants, to create clipped and free-growing hedges and borders, and in rockeries. It is recommended for landscaping urban courtyards, school gardens, relaxation areas, and in gardens at medical institutions.

Propagated by sowing seeds, dividing the bush, and summer cuttings. Seeds are sown superficially into a loose substrate, moistened from a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in the light at a temperature of 20-25 °C (68-77 °F). Seedlings need ventilation. Overwatering and drying out of the sowings must be avoided. The first seedlings appear in 15-20 days. Pricking out can be carried out immediately. Literally after a year, the strongest seedlings are selected to be transplanted to a permanent growing site.

© Greeniverse. All rights reserved.

Barberries are absolutely undemanding regarding soils, are not afraid of strong winds, tolerate drought excellently, and only cannot stand waterlogging. All of them are light-demanding, but grow well in partial shade; however, in bushes that grow in partial shade, green color is clearly present in the purple leaf color. There are very few yellow-leaved barberries. Japanese barberry 'Aurea' of a cold yellow color, about 1 m (3.3 ft) high, is known to everyone. It scorches in the sun and requires a semi-shady position. The relatively new yellow cultivar 'Bonanza Gold' is not afraid of the sun, but it is shorter in stature.

Barberries are undemanding regarding soils. They prefer a light and nutritious substrate, to which humus, peat, and sod soil are added. Lime or ash is added to acidic soil. When superphosphate is added, the plant will grow stronger and healthier and will tolerate winter better. They grow best in bright and sunny places. In the shade, ornamental-foliage forms of barberry (colored, with spots and margins) lose their coloration. The more light and sun, the brighter the foliage will be.

In the second year after planting, the plant can be fed with complex fertilizers. In spring, nitrogen fertilizers are applied (20-30 g [0.7-1.1 oz] of urea per bucket of water). Then it is fertilized once every 3-4 years. It is necessary to apply complex fertilizers with trace elements, such as Kemira Universal. Water once a week. Frequent loosening and weeding are necessary. After planting, mulching is carried out. Pruning consists of the annual removal of weak, poorly developed shoots. Old bushes are thinned in spring. When establishing living hedges, pruning is done in the second year after planting, cutting back from 1/2 to 2/3 of the aboveground part. Then in subsequent years, pruning is carried out 2 times a year: in the first half of June and in early August. Low-growing forms of barberry do not need to be pruned; they are well suited for dividing a garden plot into zones.