Origin
Japanese barberry was introduced to New England as an ornamental plant in 1875 in the form of seeds sent from Russia to the Arnold Arboretum. In 1896, barberry shrubs grown from these seeds were planted at the New York Botanic Garden. Japanese barberry was later promoted as a substitute for Common Barberry, Berberis vulgaris, which was planted by settlers for hedgerows, dye, and jam, and later found to be a host for the black stem grain rust. Because Japanese barberry has been cultivated for ornamental purposes for many years, a number of cultivars exist.
Identification/Habitat
Japanese barberry is a dense, deciduous, spiny shrub that grows 2 to 8 feet high. The branches are brown, deeply grooved, and bear a single very sharp spine at each node. Leaf color ranges from blue-green to green to dark reddish-purple. Japanese Barberry prefers full sun to part shade but can reproduce and succeed in full shade conditions. The berries, bright red in coloring, mature late summer and early fall and persist into the winter.