Japanese Barberry Shrubs

Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) are highly ornamental noted mostly for their attractive leaves that are offered in a variety of colours ranging from purple, pink, red or yellow or a combination of colours.  Plus, this shrub can put on a spectacular show in the fall giving you 3 seasons of interest.  The colour choice makes it a versatile plant to begin with, but this plant is also incredibly hardy and requires little maintenance.  The only consideration may be that they can be thorny which keep the deer away. Birds love the small berries from early to late fall.   These easy to grow shrubs do well in full sun and will also thrive in part shade.  They will grow in any kind of soil but do not like wet, soggy conditions.  In recent years, there have been some concerns that these shrubs are invasive.  Though there are some species of Barberry that have been invasive, studies show that this new class of Barberry produce little, if any seeds, and are safe to grow in our gardens.  These are the shrubs carried by Glen Echo Nurseries.  Given all these attributes, Japanese Barberry is a very worthwhile shrub for a feature shrub or hedging.