Barberry bushes are a diverse group of both deciduous and evergreen shrubs that are closely related to Mahonia. We primarily grow Japanese Barberries (Berberis thunbergii) which are well-known for their unusual leaf color and shape.
There are several great reasons to plant a few Barberries in your landscape.
Barberry shrubs come in various colors, but their warm colors make them shine. They have rich ruby red to fiery crimson hues, as well as brilliant yellow and lime-green shades. Therefore, they’re perfect for any gardener that wants to add some extra color to their landscape.
Many Barberries have sharp thorns. These aren’t great if you’re trying to handle the plant, but they are great if you have a deer problem in your landscape. Deer do not care for chewing on these thorns (as you might imagine), which makes these plants some of the most deer-resistant shrubs that one can grow.
Most popular varieties have a highly moderated and predictable growth habit. So pruning is unusual or unnecessary depending on the variety and how you want to use them.
They also don’t need much, if any, fertilizer. So they’re great for gardeners that don’t want to provide a lot of supplementary care.
Barberries are not very picky when it comes to their planting location. Usually just ensuring a couple of things will help set them up for success.
Mid-spring and early Fall are the best times to plant because of the mild temperatures. Most gardeners can plant during either of these times successfully.
In these cooler areas, we recommend planting in mid to late spring. This will allow your plant plenty of time over the season to get established before winter. We still recommend covering your plants overnight during hard freezes to help ensure your plant’s survival.
In these warmer areas, early fall is a better time to plant than spring. This is because your plant will be mostly safe from the extreme summer heat. It will also have time to grow into your landscape before the next hot summer rolls around.
There are quite a few different plants that you can pair with these iconic beauties to get the most out of them in your landscape.
We take our plants very seriously. We carefully raise them to maturity and select the best crop to ship to you. Our plants are watered before shipment, bagged around their pots to preserve moisture, and securely packaged in our custom boxes. We aim to please! Please contact us if you have any issues with your order on arrival.