Barberry Plant
Guidelines for Growing a Barberry Plant
Landscaping a yard can be the crowning glory for the home, especially when a barberry plant is one of the plants added. Their attractive appearance and their excellent natural pest resistance make the plant a natural choice for landscaping, but there is some controversy as to whether or not using this plant is wise.
Barberry plants can be either evergreen or deciduous shrubs. Evergreen varieties carry interesting foliage throughout the year, while deciduous is a term which means that they shed their leaves at the end of the season in order to go into dormancy over the winter. They are native to many areas so that they are easily adaptable to different climates and conditions. Densely compact, the stems on this hardy shrub harbor numerous sharp spines which make this plant impervious to animal attacks such as deer. These same thorns make it difficult for humans to handle the plant as well, as the needle sharp ends can produce nasty cuts. Despite that drawback, the barberry is one of the favored shrubs in a landscape. This is largely due to their appearance; shiny, dark green leaves are offset by delicate pink blooms in the spring of the year. In the fall, bright red berries form which offer wintering birds nourishment in addition to striking color against snowy white ground cover.
Shrubs are highly desirable in most landscapes due to their varieties in shapes and sizes. Since there are several subspecies of the barberry plant, gardeners have the ability to utilize many of these varieties to enhance the appearance of their yards. For beauty and interest in the rock gardens, front of landscape beds or even as a small hedge, the Japanese Pygmy barberry is a perfect choice with its short mounding habit is breathtakingly beautiful with its crimson leaves. In areas where height is required to add visual interest, the purple leaved Helmond Pillar is an excellent option. Its height at maturity can reach up to 5’, making this attractive columnar shrub also ideal for use as natural privacy screen by patios, porches or walkways.
One feature that makes the barberry especially useful in landscapes is its hardy nature and durability. While the most colorful varieties of the shrub require full sun to bring out the full potential of their coloration, barberry actually does quite well in part sun to shady conditions as well. Even northern climates are able to enjoy the wonders of the sturdy barberry, since it is hardy to USDA zone 4. There is virtually no place in the landscape that will not be able to benefit from having one of the barberry plant varieties; it does equally well in dry, windy locations as the wetter areas of the yard.
Although the barberry is certainly attractive, hardy and easy to grow, there are certain reasons why many will advise to avoid this shrub. Some varieties in the species, such as the B. vulgaris, are known to foster a fungus that is deadly to grain crops. Called “black stem rust”, this disease occupies space on the early budding leaves of the barberry. Appearing as small yellow spots, these are actually leftover spores from the previous year that can now germinate and multiply into many new spores. Grain fields that are close to barberry bushes that harbor this fungus will likely be affected by the spores when they detach and then reattach themselves to the stems of wheat, corn or other grains. Once infected by the rust, the stem begins to wither. When millions of rust spores contaminate the field, soon the entire crop is lost.
Using the barberry plant in the landscape can be a great way to add beauty and interest. However, if the landscape is in an agricultural area, there may be controversy on the wisdom of doing so.