- Japanese barberry is a deciduous woody shrub with spiny branches that grows between 3 and 6 feet in height. It has smooth-edged, oval-shaped green leaves that change to red and orange in autumn. The shrub produces clusters of small yellow flowers in May. Its flowers are replaced by bright red, oblong berries that cling to the tree well into winter.
- Japanese barberry is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8. It prefers full sunlight and is tolerant of most well-drained soil types. This shrub is often planted as a foundation or specimen plant as well as for hedges and borders. Many cultivars are available on the plant nursery market, according to the University of Illinois Extension.
- Japanese barberry is prohibited in Massachusetts and is listed as an invasive plant, although not banned, in Connecticut, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The plant has also colonized heavy-shade forests in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Research your state's policies on Japanese barberry before planting this aggressive species.
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