Red Barberry
Facts About The Red Barberry
The Red Barberry is but one of a number of species of the barberry plant (Berberis), and is also known as the Japanese barberry and Thungberg's Barberry, its binomial name being Berberis thunbergii.
Although the berries of the Red Barberry are edible, and high in vitamin C, they are seldom used as a food item. One reason is the taste is on the sharp side, but the main reason is the Red Barberry is a very dense bush with extremely sharp spines, and harvesting the berries is not much fun at all. Consequently we leave the berries for the songbirds, who know how to avoid the thorns, to enjoy.
The Red Barberry is grown then for its very attractive foliage. In some places it is even grown as the family "watch dog". Although it doesn't bark, when strategically placed under a window that a burglar might be tempted to use, the sharp thorns can make entry, if not impossible, at least very painful. The red Barberry typically grows to a height of anywhere between 3' and 6'. The spines are well anchored to the branches, and the leaves and flowers are of a small size, the leaves being green in the summer, turning to a fiery red in the fall.
Attractive, But With A Wet Dog Odor - Each year the Red Barberry produces small yellowish flowers, which hang in umbrella shaped clusters. Wren the flowers are laden with pollen, the Red Barberry takes on an odor that some compare to that of a wet dog, definitely not a pleasing fragrance. For that reason, as attractive as the bush is, it is often relegated to more distant locations in the yard or garden. The potent odor usually lasts for about two weeks, and goes away as the flowers start to fade, to be replaced with orange-red to red berries. If not harvested, the berries tend to stay on the branches throughout the fall and well into the winter, providing a source of food for any birds in the area. The berries would probably be good eating for deer as well, but the thorns keep larger animals away.
The Red Barberry bush is hardy in USDA Zones 4 through 9. It will grow in either full sun or partial sun, and is not terribly choosy about the soil it grows in, though the soil needs to be well drained and preferably moist. The bush is somewhat drought tolerant though and does not seem to mind being neglected. A little extra watering during the hot summer months is usually appreciated however.
This barberry species is often grown as a privacy hedge, or as a filler shrub, and given its thorns, could be said to form a protective hedge as well as a privacy one. It's easy to plant, is usually planted from bare root plants, and if the new plants are placed about 3 feet apart they should form an attractive hedge.
While the shrub typically has green leaves turning to red, the colors can be as varied as they are striking. The twigs and branches are red as well and the leaves can vary from red to purplish, and are often variegated, with purples and reds plus white stripes.
The Joy Of Transplanting - While the Red Barberry usually takes well to transplanting should you put it on the wrong spot the first time, the roots can be sometimes difficult to take out. Even if you're successful, the bush is apt to stab you a few times in the process of moving it. It would be easier to trim the bush back first, but if you do so, don't add the pruned off branches to the compost pile. The thorns are slow to decompose, and you could end up with a load of compost that you dare not place your hands in.
As attractive as the Red Barberry bush is, it's considered invasive in some quarters, especially in parts of the eastern United States. If left on its own, it can crowd out plants that wildlife often depend upon for their food supply. This species of barberry is banned in much or all of Canada, as it can host wheat rust.