Barberry Plants - Colorful and Hardy


The Barberry plants being described are all in the Berberis group. They have simple, alternate leaves in clusters along the branches. These plants all have thorns (this can be good and bad). Most barberry plants do very well in Eastern Pennsylvania growing to be a many branched, dense plant. Many of these plants have colorful berries which persist through winter and are valuable as a wildlife food source.

Red Pillar Barberry
The Red Pillar Barberry is truly a columnar plant. It has the reddish-purple leaf of the Crimson Pygmy but grows only 1 1/2-2 feet wide with a height of 4-5 feet. Dense grower, just upright and narrow. Great plant for a narrow or small spot that needs a highlight of color. Can be kept trimmed to more narrower or shorter.

Crimson Pygmy Barberry
The Crimson Pygmy Barberry is one of the most popular of the Japanese Barberry. It is a low growing dense plant that should grow to a height of 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall and 2 1/2 to 3 feet wide. It has a reddish purpple leaf that displays its best color when grown in the full sun. It is often sold under other names. The Crimson Pygmy Barberry is an excellent low plant to add to color to a landscape design. This plant also makes an excellent hedge. It does do well in full sun and dry condidtions. As a wildlife plant the Crimson Pygmy is good for its berries, deer resistance and is a winter home for small animals.

Rose Glow Barberry or sometimes Rosy Glow Barberry
The Rosy Glow Barberry is a Japanese Barberry. It has mottled foliage, The Rosy Glow begins with purple leaves in early spring, then the new foliage growing is the mottled rose-pink and red-purple splotches. The color gradually all becomes a deep red-purple. This shrub has the usual barberry thorns which small birds use to their benefit for nest building and protection. The Rosy Glow grows to a height of about 5 feet and a width the same. Good for color, wildlife, hedges, deer resistance and full sun positions.

Aurea Barberry
The Aurea Barberry is a bright yellow plant that holds its color except in heavy shade where is becomes more yellow-green. This is a dense, slow growing plant that can eventually reach 3-4 feet in size. Also deer resistnant, but does not have much in the line of fruit for wildlife.

Common Barberry
The common barberry is anything but common. It grows to a height of 6-10 feet, producing a mass of thick stems from a wide base that branch and spread outwards. The foliage is green. The common barberry produces yellow flowers that become bright red berries in the fall. The leaves turn yellow in the fall and drop, but the bright berry remains on the bush for a long time. Small animals and birds eat the berries through the winter and spread the seed in their droppings. It is a very vigorous shrub and just cutting it down will not kill it.

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